DARING  DEEDS 

GREAT  MOUNTAINEER 


LIBRARY 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 

PRESENTED  BY 
STUART  ATKINS 


'Cr. 


O 


DARING    DEEDS 
OF    GREAT    MOUNTAINEERS 


Caught  in  a  trap. 


Li 


DARING    DEEDS 


OF 


GREAT  MOUNTAINEERS 

TRUE    STORIES    OF 

ADVENTURE,    PLUCK    AND    RESOURCE 

IN  MANY  PARTS  OF  THE  WORLD 


BY 

RICHARD   , STEAD,    B.A.,    F.R.Hist.S. 

''    ■     '  AUTHOR   OF 

"  AnVENTURES  ON  THE    GREAT  RIVERS,"   "WILL   OF   THE   DALES," 
&•€.,  &'C.,  &^<r. 


WITH  MANY  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PHILADELPHIA 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

LONDON:  SEELEY,  SERVICE  &  CO.,  LTD. 


UNIFORM  WITH  THIS   VOLUME 

THE  DARING  DEEDS   LIBRARY 

FOR 

BOYS  &  GIRLS 

A     Sbribs     of     Copyright     Books     drscribing 

THE    Adventures,     Bravery    &     Resources    of 

Soldiers,    Sailors    &■    Others    in    all    Parts 

of  thb  World. 

Square  crovan  %vo,  with  many  Illustrations  in  Colour. 

DARING  DEEDS   OF   FAMOUS  PIRATES. 

By  Lieutenant  E.  Kkble  Chatterton,  B.A. 
Oxon.,  R.N.V.R.,  Author  of  "The  Romance  of 
the  Ship,"  "Fore  and  Aft,"  "Sailing  Ships  and 
their  Story,"  &e.,  &-c. 

DARING  DEEDS  OF  HUNTERS  AND 
TRAPPERS.  By  Ernest  Young,  B.Sc, 
F.R.G.S.,  Author  of  "The  King  of  the  Yellow 
Robe,"  &c.,  &c.y  &c. 

DARING  DEEDS  OF  THE  INDIAN 
MUTINY.  By  Edward  Gilliat,  M.A.Oxon., 
sometime  House-Master  at  Harrow  School,  Author 
of  "Forest  Outlaws,"  &c.,  6'f.,  &c. 

OARING  DEEDS  IN  DARK  FORESTS.  By 
H.  W.  G.  Hyrst,  Author  of  "Romance  of  the 
World's  Fisheries,"  "Daring  Deeds  in  Great 
Deserts,"  (S-^.,  6-^.,  &c. 

DARING  DEEDS  OF  GREAT  PATH- 
FINDERS.  By  Edgar  Sanderson,  M.A. 
Cantab. 

DARING  DEEDS  OF  GREAT  MOUN- 
TAINEERS. By  Richard  Stead,  B.A., 
F.R.Hist.S. 

SEELEY,  SERVICE  6-  CO.  LIMITED 


PREFACE 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  until  two  or  three  generations  ago 
men  did  not  see  beauty  in  mountain  scenery.  To  them 
the  mountains  were  always  forbidding,  full  of  terror, 
awful,  never  alluring  or  fascinating.  Towering  peaks, 
rugged  glaciers,  lofty  precipices,  dark  ravines,  stupendous 
crags  were  things  to  shudder  at  and  avoid. 

It  is  sometimes  said  that  the  mountains  have  lost  their 
terrors,  and  certainly  men  seek  them  in  our  day  from  pure 
love  of  them,  undeterred  by  the  <langers  and  difficulties 
which  must  still  be  encountei'ed  by  those  who  would  scale 
their  heights,  or  penetrate  into  their  recesses.  The  exploits 
of  Alpine  climbers  are  wonderful  for  the  enthusiasm  and 
the  daring  which  they  display ;  and  the  achievements  of 
others  who  have  braved  the  same  perils  in  pursuit  of 
science  or  commerce  show  a  not  less  adventurous  spirit. 
Of  ventures  on  the  high  mountains,  therefore,  the  records 
of  travel  are  full,  and  the  avalanche,  the  steep  and  slippery 
ice-slope,  the  storm,  the  exposure  to  extreme  cold,  to 
fatigue,  to  hunger,  to  attacks  from  wild  beasts  or  still 
wilder  men — these  and  a  hundred  other  forms  of  danger 


PREFACE 

will  still  attract,  and  not  deter,  those  in  whose  hearts  the 
spirit  of  adventure  stirs. 

The  compiler  desires  to  offer  his  grateful  thanks  to  the 
various  authors  and  publishers  who  have  kindly  permitted 
him  to  quote  from  their  works.  Full  acknowledgment  is 
made  in  each  case  at  the  end  of  the  chapter  concerned. 


CONTENTS 

fHAPtER  P^OK 

I.    NAPOLEON  ON   THE  GREAT  ST.    BERNARD  -  13 

II.    AMONG   THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  ABYSSINIA   -  -  26 

III.    ON  THE  WAY  TO  SRINAGAR           -               -  -  39 

TV.   A  SOJOURN  IN   SOCOTRA   -               -               -  -  50 

V.    A   lady's  ADVENTURES  IN   MEXICO            -  -  60 
VI.   ALBANIAN   MOUNTAINEERS               -               -  -  72 
VII.    THE    ROBBER    REGION    OF    THE    MEXICAN    MOUN- 
TAINS   -                -                -                -                -  -  83 

VIII.   BIG   GAME  IN   THE  CASH  AN   MOUNTAINS  -  -  96 

TX.   WITH  GALTON    IN   DAMARALAND  -                -  -  108 

X.   THE   WILD   HILL  TRIBES   OF  NORTH   AFRICA  -  120 

XI.   IN  THE  ATLAS  MOl'NTAINS              -               -  -  132 

XII.    SPORT  BEYOND   THE   SASKATCHEWAN         -  -  143 

XIIL    ADVENTURES   IN   THE  HIMALAYAS                -  -  155 

XIV.    SYRIAN   MOUNTAINS   AND  SYRIAN   ROBBERS  -  167 

XV.   A  NIGHT   ADVENTURE  ON   THE  BRISTENSTOCK  -  178 

XVL    PEAKS,   GEYSERS,   AND  VOLCANOES              -  -  190 

XVIL    WITH  TYNDALL  ON   THE  WEISSHORN         -  -  202 

XVIII.   CROSSING  THE  ANDES    IN   WINTER              -  -  21 3 

XIX.    IN   KAFFIR  LAND  -                ,               -                .  .  225 

XX.   A  TRAGEDY  ON   THE  MATTERHORN              -  -  237 

XXI.   SOLDIERING  AND  SPORT  IN  THE   ROCKIES  -  247 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 
CAUGHT  IN  A  TRAP  _  .  _      frotiUspiece 

A  NOVEL   METHOD   OF   KILLING  A   BEAR  -     to  face  p.  48 

AWKWARD   ALLIES  -                -                -  -  „  78 

AN    UNWELCOME   INTRUDER                   -  -  „  100 

A   DANGEROUS   MOMENT          ~                -  -  ty  150 

A   DARING   FEAT       -                -                "  -  »  174 

CROSSING     THE     KNIFE-EDGE     DURING  THE 

A  WEISSHORN    ASCENT           '                -  "  J7  206 

A   DANGEROUS   RAOB                -                -  -  »>  232 

A   TRAGEDY  OF  THE  MATTERHORN       -  -  „  24*2 

PUBLISHERS'  NOTE.— The  contents  ofthi^  hook  hare  been  (Jraion  from 
Mr.  Richard  Stead's  larger  and  more  exj^emive  volume  entitled  "  Adven- 
tures on  the  High  Moimtaina," 


CHAPTER  I 

NAPOLEON    ON    THE    GREAT   ST.    BERNARD 

Napoleon  prepares  to  invade  Italy — Four  Alpine  passes— Main  body 
of  forty  thousand  men  to  take  the  Pass  of  St.  Bernard — Stores 
and  ammunition  sent  on  in  vast  quantities — A  start  from 
St.  Pierre — Napoleon  himself  remains  at  Martigny — Heavy  toil 
up  to  St.  Bernard  Hospice — Dangerous  work  for  the  artillery — 
Guns  encased  in  split  fir-trees — Refreshments  at  the  hospice — 
A  hundred  peasants  to  each  gun — Peasants^  exhausted,  run  away 
— Mules  give  out — Soldiers  harness  themselves  to  their  guns — 
A  night  with  the  ordnance  on  the  open  snow  field— The  fort  of 
Bard  in  the  valley  helow — A  formidable  obstacle — Unsuccessful 
assaults — Messengers  sent  back  to  Bonaparte — He  hastens  over 
the  mountains  to  Bard — Precipitous  track  over  Albaredo moun- 
tain, above  the  fort,  repaired  and  improved — Commander  of 
Bard  refuses  to  surrender — Guns  on  the  heights  abo\e — An 
escalade  attempted — Gunners  uselessly  sacrificed — Light-balls 
used  by  the  Austrians  in  the  fort — A  straw-covered  road — 
Success— March  down  the  valley— Outlet  from  the  Alps 
defended  by  Austrians — The  Ghiusella  stream— Austrians  dis- 
lodged— A  stupendous  enterprise  ends  with  full  and  mar\ellous 
success. 

Amongst  the  many  recorded  adventures  on  great  moun- 
tains, few  excel  in  thrilling  interest  those  connected  with 
military  exploits,  whether  those  exploits  be  glorious  and 

13 


FOUR  ALPINE  PASSES 

successful,  like  those  of  Hannibal  in  ancient,  and  those  of 
Wolfe  in  more  modem  times ;  or  whether  they  be  such  as 
the  melancholy  and  disastrous  retreat  from  Cabul,  in  those 
terrible  early  days  of  the  year  1842.  And  perhaps  no 
story  of  them  all  is  more  marvellous  than  that  of 
Napoleon's  passage  of  the  Alps,  when  he  led  an  army 
across  the  highest  mountains  in  our  quarter  of  the  globe 
—  a  stupendous  enterprise,  perhaps  unrivalled  in  the 
history  of  the  world. 

It  was  in  the  May  of  1800  that  Bonaparte  prepared  to 
lead  his  troops  across  this  almost  impassable  barrier  into 
the  plains  of  Italy,  where,  near  Turin,  lay  encamped  his 
enemies,  the  Austrians.  As  every  one  knows,  the  vast 
range  of  the  Alps  lies  between  France  and  Italy,  with  its 
towering  peaks,  its  ice  and  snow,  its  frightful  passes,  its 
rocks  and  precipices,  its  avalanches,  its  thousand  and  one 
dangers.  The  notion  of  leading  a  great  body  of  men, 
with  all  their  stores,  their  food,  their  ammunition,  their 
horses  —  with  the  necessary  guns,  tents,  pontoons,  and 
other  implements,  across  the  tremendous  Alpine  barrier 
could  enter  the  brain  of  none  save  a  madman  —  or  a 
genius. 

There  were  four  passes  available  for  the  army,  and  of 
these  that  of  St.  Gothard  was  reserved  for  troops  coming 
from  Germany  under  General  Moncey.  There  remained 
three — the  passes  of  the  Simplon,  the  Great  St.  Bernard, 
and  Mont  Cenis.  None  of  these  had  roads  over  them,  as  in 
our  days.  Napoleon  chose  for  the  main  body  of  his  army 
the  middle  route — that  over  the  Great  St.  Bernard  Pass, 
because  the  Simplon  entailed  a  much  longer  march,  and 
that  by  Mont  Cenis  would  have  led  the  troops  right  into 

14 


OPERATIONS  ON  THE  MOUNTAINS 

the  jaws  of  the  Austrian  force  before  Turin.  So  through 
this  central  pass  was  to  travel  a  force  numbering  thirty- 
five  thousand  infantry  and  artillery,  and  five  thousand 
cavalry,  or  forty  thousand  men  in  all.  Smaller  divisions 
of  four  or  five  thousand  were  sent  to  occupy  the  other 
passes,  with  orders  to  rejoin  the  main  army  in  the  plains 
of  Lombardy.  If  all  went  well,  there  would  in  the  course 
of  a  week  or  two  be  massed  in  Italy  an  army  of  no  less 
than  sixty-five  thousand  men,  while  Napoleon  would  hold 
all  the  passes  of  the  Alps,  so  that,  in  case  of  defeat,  he 
would  have  several  lines  of  retreat  open  to  him. 

Leaving  untold  the  story  of  his  earlier  marches  from 
Lausanne  to  Villeneuve,  at  the  head  of  the  Lake  of 
Geneva,  and  thence  to  Martigny  and  St.  Pierre,  we  may 
pass  on  at  once  to  the  operations  on  the  mountains  them- 
selves. "At  St.  Pierre  the  troops  began  to  ascend  by 
paths,  covered  with  snow  and  bordered  by  precipices, 
scarcely  more  than  two  or  three  feet  wide,  exposed  in 
noonday  heat  to  the  fall  of  frightful  avalanches."  In  all 
there  were  fully  thirty  miles  of  mountain  to  be  traversed, 
by  passes  with  nothing  like  a  road,  ascending  to  heights 
of  many  thousand  feet.  Over  all  this  everything  had  to 
be  carried  that  was  necessary  for  a  numerous  army  and  a 
campaign  on  a  vast  scale. 

The  preliminary  work  was  in  itself  enormous.  Immense 
stores  of  food  for  man  and  beast  had  to  be  sent  on  in 
advance ;  all  the  mules  the  country  could  supply  had  to 
he  brought  up ;  workmen  in  great  gangs  had  to  be 
engaged.  Further,  guns  had  to  be  dismounted  and  sent 
on  separately  on  sledges  with  low  wheels,  the  carriages 
themselves  being  taken  to  pieces  and  placed  on  the  backs 

15 


NAPOLEON  AT  MARTIGNY 

of  mules.  Ammunition  had  to  be  packed  in  boxes  for 
conveyance  in  the  same  manner,  and  so  with  various  other 
stores.  A  veritable  army  of  workmen  carried  out  all  this 
work  on  the  northern  side  of  the  Alps,  while  a  similar 
body  of  craftsmen  pushed  on  over  the  mountains  to  be 
ready  to  put  the  guns  together  and  to  do  similar  work 
when  the  worst  of  the  defiles  should  have  been  passed. 
Napoleon  neglected  nothing;  even  saddlers'  shops  were 
fitted  up  at  intervals,  so  that  any  repairs  needed  could  be 
done  at  once  on  the  march. 

The  great  General  himself  remained  at  Martigny  to 
see  to  the  dispatch  of  the  stores  and  the  separate  army 
divisions,  while  General  Lannes  went  on  with  a  strong 
advance-guard  to  receive  the  rest  as  they  arrived.  The 
start  was  made  on  the  15th  of  May  soon  after  one  in  the 
morning,  in  order  that  good  progress  might  be  made 
before  the  heat  of  the  sun  should  bring  down  avalanches 
of  ice  and  snow  upon  the  troops  toiling  through  those 
wild  and  dangerous  gorges.  The  men  were  in  the  highest 
spirits,  though  they  were  heavily  laden,  having  to  carry 
theu'  supply  of  biscuit  for  several  days,  as  well  as  a  stock 
of  cartridges.  Up  the  toilsome  ascents  they  climbed  cheer- 
fully, and  with  many  a  burst  of  song;  they  threaded  the 
wild  ravines,  they  stepped  cautiously  but  confidently  along 
the  narrow  ledges,  they  risked  the  falls  of  snow  or  rocks. 
It  was  heavy  work  for  the  infantry,  but  for  the  cavalry  it 
was  a  far  more  serious  affair.  On  an  upward  slope  progress 
was  fairly  safe,  if  slow,  but  on  the  descents  the  men  had 
to  go  in  front  and  lead  their  horses.  So  narrow  often 
were  the  ledges  on  which  they  walked,  that  if  one  of  the 
animals  slipped,  there  was  great  danger  of  his  dragging 

16 


AT  THE  ST.  BERNARD  HOSPICE 

his  master  with  him,  down  to  t}ie  frightful  depths  beneath. 
A  few  poor  fellows  perished  in  this  way,  but  on  the  whole 
no  ffreat  number  of  such  accidents  occurred. 

The  first  stage  of  the  journey,  up  to  the  St.  Bernard 
Hospice,  was  completed  in  eight  hours  from  the  start. 
There,  by  previous  arrangement  with  the  monks,  the 
soldiers  experienced  a  pleasant  surprise,  provided  for  them 
by  the  care  and  forethought  of  their  Commander-in-Chief. 
Tables  had  been  spread  in  readiness,  with  huge  supplies  of 
food  and  drink.  Every  man  halted  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
received  a  ration  of  bread,  cheese,  and  wine.  Lannes  and 
his  men  then  passed  on  in  the  best  of  humours  down  the 
descent  to  St.  Remy.  There  they  encamped,  to  receive 
the  other  divisions  of  the  army  as  they  came  along.  So 
far  everything  had  gone  splendidly. 

In  similar  fashion,  each  day  saw  the  passing  over  of  an 
army  division  up  to  the  hospice,  every  man  receiving  from 
the  monks  his  dole  of  bread,  cheese,  and  wine,  and  down 
to  St.  Remy.  Of  course,  several  days  were  spent  on  this 
work,  Bonaparte  superintending  the  start  from  Martigny; 
and  those  who  had  successfully  made  the  passage  to 
St.  Remy  were  not  idle.  Every  day  vast  quantities  of 
materiel  were  brought  to  the  spot,  and  much  unpacking, 
much  putting  together,  much  rearranging  had  to  be  done. 
The  artillery  gave  by  far  the  most  trouble,  and  involved 
most  risk  to  the  men.  The  gun-carriages,  indeed,  as  has 
been  said  before,  were  got  over  the  pass  without  so  much 
difficulty,  though  the  number  of  mules  available  fell  far 
short  of  what  was  required ;  but  in  the  case  of  the  guns 
themselves  the  trouble  was  great.  They  had,  in  the  first 
instance,  been  mounted  on  low-wheeled  sledges ;    but  it 

17  B 


CARRIAGE  OF  THE  GUNS 

was  soon  found  that  there  were  many  parts  of  the  route 
where  the  sledges  could  not  be  used. 

Then  some  one  hit  upon  another  plan.  The  trunk  of 
a  fir-tree  was  split  along  its  length,  and  the  two  halves 
hollowed  out ;  between  these  the  gun  was  tightly  bound. 
In  this  way  it  was  possible  to  draw  the  pieces  along  the 
ravines  without  injury.  So  long  as  they  were  ascending, 
the  men  in  chaige  of  the  cannon  got  on  well  enough  ;  but 
each  descent  was  attended  with  great  risk.  The  pieces 
could  be  kept  on  the  track  only  by  sheer  strength  of  arm. 
The  danger  of  having  the  gun  fall  over  the  precipice,  and 
drag  with  it  men  and  beasts,  was  often  very  great.  To 
make  matters  worse,  both  mules  and  muleteers  became 
exhausted  after  a  few  days  of  this  heavy  and  dangerous 
work.  It  was  now  necessary  to  try  other  means.  The 
peasantry  of  the  district  were  offered  a  thousand  francs  for 
every  gun  they  safely  conveyed  over  the  pass,  and  hundreds 
of  men  lent  their  help  on  these  terms.  Every  gun  required 
a  hundred  men  to  drag  it  along,  and  two  days  to  get  it  to 
its  destination — one  day  in  making  the  ascent  to  the  hospice, 
the  other  in  getting  down  to  St.  Remy.  No  farther  proof 
of  the  arduous  and  hazardous  nature  of  the  task  is  needed 
than  this,  that  the  peasants  at  length  struck  work  and  dis- 
appeared, though  still  larger  offers  of  pay  were  made  by  the 
French  Generals.  Officers  went  in  search  of  the  runaways, 
but  in  vain ;  no  gain  would  tempt  the  country-folk  to 
resume  their  task. 

It  requires  no  great  effort  of  imagination  to  picture  the 
scene.  Men  and  beasts  exhausted,  no  more  to  be  had  ; 
heavy  guns  left  stranded  at  all  points  of  the  route,  often 
amidst  wastes  of  ice  and  snow.     Yet  without  these  guns  it 

18 


A  LAMENTABLE  CONDITION 

was  impossible  for  the  army  to  venture  down  into  the 
plains  below,  for  there  lay  the  enemy  in  all  his  strength. 
There  was  but  one  way  out  of  the  difficulty — to  beg  the 
soldiers  themselves  to  drag  along  the  fallen  cannon.  Few 
leaders  could  have  called  forth  from  his  men  such  signal 
devotion ;  but  the  leader  of  the  Frenchmen  was  Napoleon 
Bonaparte.  With  such  a  General  and  such  men  nothing- 
was  impossible.  Harnessing  themselves  to  the  guns,  in 
gangs  of  a  hundred,  the  soldiers  dragged  along  their  heavy 
loads  to  the  sound  of  inspiriting  music,  especially  in  the 
more  difficult  places.  As  an  additional  incentive,  the 
money  the  peasants  had  refused  to  earn  was  promised  to 
the  soldiers ;  but  they  would  have  none  of  it,  saying  that 
it  was  the  duty  of  the  troops  to  save  their  guns.  With 
what  worship  must  the  First  Consul  have  been  regarded 
by  his  army !  It  is  said  that  certain  of  the  soldiers, 
finding  themselves  high  up  on  the  mountain  when  night 
came  on,  chose  to  endure  all  the  rigoui»s  of  those  ice-bound 
elevations  rather  than  desert  their  guns,  even  till  morning. 
There  is  a  branch  of  the  Po,  called  the  Dora  Baltea, 
which  rises  high  among  the  Alps,  and  along  its  course  the 
French  troops  passed  presently  on  their  way  down  to  the 
Italian  plains.  Much  of  the  valley  of  the  Dora  Baltea  is 
but  a  cleft  in  the  mountains,  bounded  on  either  hand 
by  towering  heights,  most  of  them  quite  inaccessible.  In 
one  part  of  the  valley  a  huge  rock  has  at  some  time  fallen 
from  the  mountain  above,  almost  blocking  up  the  passage. 
The  river  runs  on  one  side  of  this  rock  and  the  road  on  the 
other.  For  a  short  distance  the  road  is  lined  with  houses, 
forming  the  town  of  Bard.  The  little  place  was  dominated 
by  a  fort,  occupied  by  the  Austrians,  and,  though  not  strong 

19 


THE  LEADER  UNDAUNTED 

iu  itself,  it  was  splendidly  situated  for  defensive  operations. 
To  pass  this  fort  on  their  way  down  into  Piedmont  was 
soon  seen  by  the  French  to  be  almost  an  impossibility.  In 
truth,  several  of  the  Generals  pronounced  the  passage  to 
be  quite  impracticable.  Here,  then,  was  an  unlooked-for 
check  :  the  French  army  had,  with  untold  labour  and  risk, 
passed  over  the  lofty  and  savage  mountains  only  to  be 
stopped  by  an  insignificant  fort  like  this !  It  seemed  all 
too  ridiculous  at  first  sight ;  but  the  more  the  problem 
was  confronted,  the  more  insohible  did  it  appear.  In  vain 
Lannes,  never  a  man  to  be  easily  daunted,  sent  his  com- 
panies of  grenadiers  into  the  town  ;  the  fort  swept  the 
street  with  its  fire.  Other  Generals  were  sent  for,  but  all 
agreed  that  the  place  was  impregnable.  At  last  it  was 
necessary  to  dispatch  messengers  to  the  Commander  himself, 
who  had  not  yet  crossed  the  pass. 

The  news  that  the  farther  progress  of  his  army  was 
impossible,  and  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  bring- 
back  all  his  men  and  munitions  over  that  tremendous 
range,  was  at  first  staggering  to  Bonaparte.  But  he  had 
not  brought  his  army  over  one  of  the  highest  ranges  in  the 
world  to  be  stopped  by  a  little  hill  fortress. 

"  They  will  take  the  fort  by  a  bold  dash,"  he  ordered ; 
"or  if  it  is  not  taken,  they  will  turn  11." 

He  further  directed  that  if  the  artillery  could  not  be 
got  over,  the  troops  should  scale  the  heights  above  the 
Rock  of  Bard,  and  proceed  without  the  guns.  The  French, 
he  said,  were  both  sufficiently  brave  and  sufficiently 
numerous  to  fall  upon  the  Austrian  artillery  and  supply 
themselves  with  guns.  There  spoke  a  military  leader  of 
the  first  rank. 

20 


THOUGHTFULNESS  OF  NAPOLEON 

Bonaparte  studied  his  maps  assiduously,  and  messengers 
were  sent  flying  about  the  country  to  the  Generals  in 
command  of  the  different  divisions  of  his  army.  But  he 
did  more :  presently  he  was  crossing  the  Alps  himself. 
The  prevalent  notion  that  he  careered  across  the  Alpine 
snows  on  a  fiery  white  charger  has  no  warrant — in  fact,  the 
Consul  rode  a  mule.  On  the  way  he  entered  freely  into 
conversation  with  his  humble  mule-driver,  drawing  from 
the  man  the  story  of  his  life.  It  is  strange  that  the 
famous  military  leader  should  have  had  room  in  his 
thoughts  for  such  matters  at  a  time  when  he  must  have 
been  full  of  anxiety  lest  this  expedition — one  of  the 
greatest  the  world  had  ever  seen — should  come  to  utter 
failure.  It  is  worth  recording,  to  the  credit  of  a  man  in 
whose  character  there  was  only  too  much  that  was  blame- 
worthy, that  he  provided  for  the  poor  mule-driver,  giving 
him  a  little  farm,  and  thus  enabling  him  to  marry  the  girl 
of  his  choice  and  settle  down  in  the  world.  Nor  did 
Bonaparte  forget  to  thank  the  monks  of  St.  Bernard  for 
their  attention  to  his  army  :  he  left  with  them  a  magnifi- 
cent present.  Then,  descending  the  slopes  to  the  south, 
he  followed  the  fashion  of  the  mountaineers,  and  let  him- 
self slide  over  the  snow. 

In  due  time  he  was  before  the  troublesome  fort  of  Bard, 
and  he  at  once  admitted  that  all  he  had  been  told  by  his 
Generals  was  correct :  that  Bard  was  an  obstacle  hardly  to 
be  passed.  His  mind  was  soon  made  up.  First,  he  sent 
over  the  precipices  leading  to  the  mountain  of  Albaredo, 
which  overshadows  the  valley,  his  infantry,  cavalry,  and 
four-pounders.  To  enable  this  to  be  done,  it  was,  of 
course,  necessary  to  make  some  sort  of  a  road.     An  army 

21 


UNSUCCESSFUL  ASSAULTS 

of  fifteen  hundred  labourers  was  soon  at  work  cutting  the 
road,  removing  obstacles,  and  bridging  torrents.  The 
commander  of  the  fort  was  much  chagrined  when  he  saw 
the  French  passing  up  and  out  of  his  reach,  while  he 
could  do  nothing  whatever  to  stop  them,  and  he  sent  word 
to  his  superior  that  the  enemy  would  to  a  certainty  get 
down  into  the  plains  of  Piedmont.  He  added,  however, 
that  he  would  wager  his  head  they  would  arrive  there 
without  a  single  gun. 

Meantime  Napoleon  himself,  down  below  in  the  valley, 
set  to  work  to  take  the  fort,  if  it  might  be,  or,  if  not,  to 
pass  it  somehow.  He  began  by  summoning  the  commander 
of  it  to  capitulate.  But  the  Austrian  officer  was  far  too 
sensible  of  the  importance  and  advantage  of  his  position, 
and  replied  that  he  would  yield  to  nothing  but  superior 
force.  A  few  of  the  artillery,  who  had  scrambled  up  to 
the  heights  above,  opened  fire  upon  the  fort,  but  without 
effect.  Then  Napoleon  ordered  an  escalade  of  the  outer 
works  of  the  fort,  the  only  result  of  which  was  the  loss  of 
a  valuable  officer  and  several  brave  grenadiers.  The  next 
move  of  the  French  was  to  attempt  to  carry  past  the  place 
a  piece  of  cannon  under  cover  of  the  night,  but  the  noise 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  Austrians  within.  They 
threw  up  light-balls,  which  lit  up  the  whole  locality  ;  then, 
directing  their  guns  upon  the  adventurous  Frenchmen, 
they  killed  or  wounded  no  fewer  than  seven  out  of  the 
thirteen  soldiers  in  charge  of  the  cannon.  This  sort  of 
thing  was  enough  to  daunt  even  the  most  valiant,  and 
another  plan  was  tried. 

"  The  street  was  covered  with  straw  and  stable  dung, 
and  bands  of  tow  were  placed  round  the  gun   in  such 

22 


TRIUMPH  OF  THE  FRENCH 

a  manner  as  to  prevent  the  least  clash  of  the  mass  of 
metal  upon  the  carriage.  The  horses  were  detached, 
and  bold  artillerymen  dragged  them  by  main  strength, 
venturing  to  pass  under  the  batteries  of  the  fort  along 
the  street  of  Bard.  The  plan  perfectly  succeeded.  The 
enemy,  who  occasionally  fired  by  way  of  precaution,  struck 
some  of  the  gunners  ;  but  in  no  long  time,  in  spite  of  the 
fire,  the  heavy  artillery  was  moved  to  the  other  side  of  the 
defile,  and  this  formidable  difficulty,  which  had  caused  the 
First  Consul  more  anxiety  than  the  passage  of  St.  Bernard 
itself,  was  thus  overcome.  The  artillery  horses  had  been 
taken  round  by  the  Albaredo  path." 

Down  the  valley  of  the  Dora  Baltea,  with  its  great 
rocky  sides,  the  French  now  marched  triumphant.  The 
chief  obstacle  had  been  surmounted.  And  all  this  while 
the  other  sections  of  the  army  had  been  traversing  the 
Alps,  each  by  the  pass  assigned  to  it.  A  vast  body  of 
troops  was  ready  to  pour  down  upon  the  plains  of  Italy, 
there  to  concentrate  against  the  Austrian  forces.  Lannes, 
with  the  advance-guard,  now  determined  to  leave  the 
mountains  and  show  himself  openly  in  the  plains  below. 
But  before  this  could  be  done  it  was  necessary  that  he 
should  dislodge  the  Austrian  General  in  charge  of  the 
outlet  from  the  Alps,  This  officer,  Haddick,  had  with 
him  a  considerable  force  of  infantry  and  cavalry,  and  he  was 
well  posted  near  the  bridge  over  the  Chiusella,  a  tributary 
of  the  Dora  Baltea. 

The  bridge  was  strongly  defended,  and  the  French 
found  it  impossible  to  take  it  by  assault.  Nothing 
daunted,  however,  the  troops  dashed  into  the  river  itself, 
and  began  to  scramble  up  the  opposite  bank.     Here  they 

23 


FIGHT  AT  THE  CHIUSELLA  BRIDGE 

were  met  by  the  Austrian  cavalry,  under  General  Palfy. 
A  hard  fight  took  place,  but  when  Palfy  fell  dead  from  his 
horse,  his  troops  immediately  fled.  All  the  while  other 
Austrian  troops  kept  up  a  deadly  fire  against  Lannes  and 
his  men.  General  Haddick  presently  came  to  the  attack 
with  spirit,  and  for  a  time  the  issue  was  doubtful.  Yet 
the  French  infantry  sustained  the  onset  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry  with  splendid  firmness,  and  held  their  ground. 

A  final  effort  was  made  by  the  Austrians.  A  thousand 
of  their  cavalry  dashed  with  tremendous  fury  against  the 
French  foot.  Thrice  they  charged,  and  as  often  the  shock 
was  sustained  and  the  assault  repulsed  at  the  point  of  the 
bayonet.  The  Austrian  Commander,  after  gallant  but 
ineffectual  efforts,  was  now  compelled  to  give  the  order  to 
retreat,  and  the  French  army,  after  unexampled  difficulties 
and  dangers  amidst  the  wild,  snow-bound  fastnesses  of  the 
Alps,  was  now  free  to  pour  forth  from  the  mountain 
valleys  into  the  rich  fields  of  Piedmont. 

Thirteen  days  only  had  passed  since  the  first  troops  had 
set  their  faces  towards  the  Alpine  slopes  at  St.  Pierre. 
Now  the  stupendous  enterprise  planned  by  the  First 
Consul  had  been  carried  out  with  extraordinary  success. 
"  An  army  of  forty  thousand  men — infantry,  cavalry,  and 
artillery — had  passed  by  unbeaten  paths  over  the  highest 
mountains  in  Europe,  dragging  its  artillery  by  main 
strength  along  the  snow,  or  pushing  it  forward  under  the 
murderous  fire  of  a  fort,  almost  close  to  the  muzzles  of  its 
guns.  One  division  of  five  thousand  men  had  descended 
the  Little  St.  Bernard ;  another  of  four  thousand  had 
passed  over  Mont  Cenis;  a  detachment  occupied  the 
Simplon ;  and  lastly,  a   corps   of  fifteen   thousand    men, 

24 


A  STUPENDOUS  UNDERTAKING 

under  General  Moncey,  was  on  the  summit  of  the  St. 
Gothard.  There  were  thus  sixty  thousand  soldiers  and 
more  about  to  enter  Italy ;  still,  it  is  true,  separated 
from  each  other  by  considerable  distances,  but  assured  of 
soon  rallying  round  the  principal  mass  of  forty  thousand, 
who  had  come  by  Ivrea,  in  the  centre  of  the  semicircle  of 
the  Alps/' 

And,  it  must  not  be  forgotten,  Bonaparte  was  in  posses- 
sion of  all  the  mountain  tracks  that  led  back  to  his  own 
country,  and  was  thus  prepared  for  retreat  should  disaster 
befall  his  troops.  The  extraordinary  expedition  across  the 
stupendous  Alpine  barrier  had  been  no  mere  whim  of  a 
proud  conqueror,  but  the  outcome  of  a  well -reasoned 
plan,  conceived  and  carried  out  by  a  master  of  the  military 
art. 


26 


CHAPTER  II 

AMONG    THE    MOUNTAINS    OF    ABYSSINIA 

James  Bruce,  one  of  the  most  noted  of  British  travellers — He 
I'eaches  Abyssinia  —  Departs  for  the  interior  —  Reaches  the 
mountains — A  great  storm — Wonderful  rise  of  a  river — Traces 
of  elephants  seen  in  plenty — Inhabitants  of  the  district  live  in 
cages  of  hide — A  troublesome  growth  of  acacias— Tameness  of 
the  antelopes — Mount  Taranta  and  its  difficulties — Getting  the 
instruments  up  the  heights — Sleep  in  caves — Dixan,  a  mountain 
stronghold — Slave-trading  rife— Bruce  joins  a  party  of  Moors, 
and  becomes  the  leader  of  a  caravan — An  Abyssinian  chief,  and 
his  methods  of  horse-dealing — Dangers  of  the  Shangalla  country 
— Tlie  ''steeples"  of  tlie  Adowa  Mountains— A  wicked  town — 
Natives  cut  steaks  out  of  a  live  cow — A  frightful  mountain 
track — Bruce  reaches  Gondar — The  royal  family  down  with  the 
small-pox — A  saint  vainly  tries  magic — Bruce  forced  to  under- 
take the  sick  cases — His  lucky  success — Installed  as  Court 
physician — On  most  intimate  terms  with  the  King — Starts  for 
the  source  of  the  Nile — Is  admitted  to  brotherhood  with  the 
wild  Gallas — Given  a  steed — "  No  man  will  touch  you  who  sees 
that  horse  " —Arrives  at  the  mountains  and  village  of  Geesh — 
Sees  one  of  the  springs  of  the  Nile — His  triumphant  reflec- 
tions. 

Few  British  travellers  have  been  more  enterprising  and 
more  active  than  the  famous  Scotch  explorer,  James 
Bruce.  His  journeyings  covered  an  immense  extent  and 
variety  of  country,  and  many  of  his  adventures  and  strange 
experiences  were  so  extraordinary  that  not  a  few  of  his 
contemporaries  were  inclined  to  doubt  his  veracity.     But 

26 


BRUGES  JOURNEY  TO  ABYSSINIA 

there  seems  to  be  no  reason  for  distrusting  the  general 
accuracy  of  Bruce's  stories.  He  travelled  over  most  of 
Europe,  a  part  of  Asia,  and  a  good  deal  of  Africa — in  Egypt, 
in  Algeria,  in  Nubia,  in  Abyssinia — playing  many  parts. 

When  Bruce  first  set  foot  in  Abyssinia,  now  more  than 
a  hundred  and  thirty  years  ago,  exceedingly  little  was 
known  of  the  interior  of  that  far-off'  land.  But  it  was 
among  its  mountains  that  the  mysterious  and  historic 
Nile  was  believed  to  have  its  rise,  and  one  of  the  things  to 
which  Bruce  looked  forward  with  almost  feverish  interest 
was  the  possibility  of  penetrating  to  the  long-hidden  source 
of  that  mighty  river. 

The  traveller  had  been  detained  by  a  diief  nearer  the 
coast,  but  at  length  he  was  suff'ered  to  depart  for  the 
interior.  For  a  short  time  his  route  lay  over  plains,  but 
when  he  reached  the  neighbourhood  of  the  mountains  he 
found  his  way  full  of  difficulties.  The  ground  was  rough, 
steep,  and  stony,  and  he  was  obliged  to  march  along  the 
bed  of  a  mountain  torrent.  Then,  striking  off"  from  the 
stream,  he  made  for  a  grassy  hill,  and  there  pitched  his 
tent  for  the  night.  His  early  experiences  among  the 
Abyssinian  mountains  were  sufficiently  exciting.  A  violent 
storm  suddenly  came  on.  The  thunder  and  lightning 
were  terrific,  the  lightning  very  vivid  and  blue  in  tint,  and 
the  thunder-peals  tremendous.  Up  to  the  beginning  of 
the  storm  the  bed  of  the  torrent  had  been  almost  dry, 
but  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  it  presented  a 
very  different  aspect.  Bruce's  own  description  is  worth 
quoting : 

"  The  river  scarcely  ran  at  our  passing  it.  All  on  a 
sudden,  however,  we  heard  a  noise  on  the  mountains  above 

27 


TRACES  OF  ELEPHANTS 

louder  than  the  loudest  thunder.  Our  guides  upon  this 
flew  to  the  baggage,  and  removed  it  to  the  top  of  the 
green  hill,  which  was  no  sooner  done  than  we  saw  the 
river  coming  down  in  a  stream  about  the  height  of  a  man, 
and  the  breadth  of  the  whole  bed  it  used  to  occupy.  The 
water  was  thickly  tinged  with  red  earth,  and  swelled  a 
little  above  its  banks,  but  did  not  reach  our  station  on  the 
hill." 

Soon  the  traveller  came  upon  plentiful  evidences  of  the 
existence  of  elephants  in  the  district.  Along  the  tracks 
by  which  the  animals  had  marched,  many  trees  were 
broken  in  the  middle,  or  thrown  down,  while  in  places  the 
ground  was  strewn  with  the  branches  they  had  snapped  off 
and  partly  eaten.  But  none  of  the  elephants  were  actually 
met  with  thereabouts.  The  people  of  the  locality  dwelt 
for  the  most  part  in  mountain  caverns  and  hollows,  though 
some  of  them  lived  in  what  might  be  called  cages — construc- 
tions made  of  wood  and  skins,  and  built  to  accommodate 
two  persons.  The  tribes,  strange  to  say,  were  copper- 
coloured  rather  than  black  or  white.  The  travelling  after 
this  district  was  left  behind  became  still  more  difficult, 
and  even  painful,  for  presently  the  explorer  and  his  men 
had  to  push  their  way  through  thick  groves  of  acacias,  and 
the  prickly  branches  of  the  trees  tore  the  flesh  and  clothing 
in  a  cruel  manner. 

A  wild  and  desolate  hill  region  followed,  and  the 
travellers  were  glad  to  make  a  short  stay  at  a  station 
called  Tubbo,  where  the  surroundings  were  much  more 
agreeable.  Then  on  again,  the  mountains  once  more  very 
steep,  much  broken,  and  full  of  crags  and  precipices  of  a 
dangerous  character.     But  the  ravines  were  lovely  with 

28 


MOUNT  TARANTA 

abundant  foliage  and  splendid  Hovvers,  and  delightful  with 
the  song  of  birds.  The  amount  of  bird-life,  in  truth, 
Hruce  found  astonishing.  He  specially  noted  that  the 
song  of  the  skylark,  among  these  Abyssinian  fastnesses, 
was  exactly  the  same  as  in  England.  Game  was  plentiful, 
especially  antelopes  and  partridges.  The  antelopes  were 
evidently  quite  unused  to  the  presence  of  man,  for  they 
exhibited  not  the  least  fear  on  the  approach  of  Bruce  and 
hrs  following,  merely  standing  aside  to  let  them  pass,  and 
gazing  at  them  in  wonder. 

For  some  time  the  party  had  been  advancing  towards 
Taranta,  a  lofty  and  conspicuous  mountain,  but  when  they 
actually  reached  its  base,  the  prospect  was  one  that  almost 
forced  them  to  turn  back.  "  The  difficulties  which  pre- 
sented themselves  were  appalling.  The  road,  if  it  deserved 
the  name,  was  of  incredible  steepness,  and  intersected 
almost  at  every  step  by  large  hollows  and  gullies  formed 
by  the  torrents,  by  vast  fragments  of  rock  which,  loosened 
from  the  cliffs  above  by  the  rains,  had  rolled  down  the 
chasm ""  through  which  the  path  of  the  travellers  lay. 
Bruce  had  with  him  certain  valuable  scientific  instruments, 
of  which  his  telescope,  his  quadrant,  and  his  timekeeper 
were  the  principal.  How  to  get  these  things  safely  to  the 
top  of  those  well  nigh  inaccessible  heights  was  a  puzzle 
indeed  ;  the  servants  of  the  expedition  declared  it  to  be 
an  impossibility.  Those  who  carried  the  quadrant,  indeed, 
coolly  proposed  an  easy  way  out  of  the  difficulty — namely, 
by  dragging  the  instrument  on  the  ground  !  Bruce  was 
not  a  man  to  be  stopped  by  difficulties,  if  a  way  out 
of  them  was  possible  to  human  ingenuity  and  human 
perseverance.     So  the  explorer  himself  took  charge  of  the 

29 


A  TOILSOME  ASCENT 

quadrant  to  carry,  being  assisted  by  a  young  Moor  who  had 
joined  the  party  for  a  time.  After  extraordinary  exertions, 
during  which  their  clothes  were  torn  to  pieces,  and  their 
hands  and  knees  cut  in  a  shocking  manner,  the  two  men 
succeeded  in  placing  the  cjuadrant  in  safety,  far  above  the 
stony  parts  of  the  mountain.  Their  companions  were  by 
this  time  thoroughly  ashamed  of  themselves,  and  set  to 
work  on  the  burdens  with  a  will,  each  man  now  striving 
to  surpass  his  fellows,  and  thus  the  rest  of  the  instruments 
and  the  baggage  were  quickly  carried  up  the  steeps. 

But  Mount  Taranta  was  by  no  means  yet  done  with ;  in 
truth,  the  men  had  made  but  half  the  ascent.  They  were 
too  tired  to  attempt  more  that  day,  however,  and  threw- 
themselves  on  the  ground,  too  exhausted  even  to  pitch 
their  tents.  As  it  happened,  this  operation  would  have 
been  an  impossible  one,  the  ground  being  too  rocky  to 
admit  of  driving  in  tent-pegs.  When  night  fell,  Bruce 
and  his  companions  went  off  to  sleep  in  some  caves  in  the 
rocks  which  they  observed  near.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
many  of  the  Abyssinian  mountains  were  found  to  abound 
in  caves.  In  the  morning,  when  the  upward  journey  was 
resumed,  the  path  proved  steeper  than  evei",  but  it  also 
proved  on  the  whole  less  rugged  and  toilsome.  For  two 
days  longer  the  travellers  wandered  among  the  heights  and 
valleys  of  the  same  mountain  group. 

A  halt  was  then  made  at  Dixan,  the  first  considerable 
settlement  they  had  met  with.  It  was  built  on  the  top  of 
a  sugar-loaf  hill,  and  was  splendidly  situated  for  defence. 
On  every  side  the  ground  fell  away  sharply  to  the  valley, 
which,  like  a  trench,  completely  surrounded  the  hill  on 
which  the  town  stood.     The  road  up  into  the  place  wound 

30 


BRUCE  LEADER  OF  A  CARAVAN 

round  the  hill  in  spiral  fashion.  The  explorer  found  the 
people  of  Dixan  a  bad  set ;  in  fact,  they  had  among  their 
countrymen  an  unenviable  reputation  for  wickedness, 
"  and  appeared  fully  to  deserve  it  V  The  main  trading  of 
the  place  was  in  slaves,  especially  boys  and  girls,  whom 
they  stole  wherever  they  could  lay  hands  on  them.  Most 
of  the  poor  wretches  were  bought  up  by  Moorish  travelling 
merchants,  and  sent  by  them  to  Arabia  or  India.  Bruce 
was  not  sorry  to  see  the  last  of  Dixan. 

By  an  altogether  unexpected  turn  of  fortune  he  now 
found  himself  installed  as  chief  of  a  large  caravan.  He 
had  been  joined  by  a  number  of  Moors,  who  possessed 
twenty  donkeys  and  a  couple  of  bulls,  all  laden  with  mer- 
chandise. The  Moors  were  desirous  of  combining  with  so 
strong  a  force  as  Bruce's  for  the  additional  security  thus 
afforded  to  them  and  their  goods.  A  picturesque  cere- 
mony took  place  under  a  tree,  at  a  spot  where  they  had  all 
encamped  for  the  night.  The  Moors  solemnly  elected 
Bruce  as  the  chief  of  the  combined  caravan,  promising  on 
oath  to  stand  by  him  to  the  end  if  danger  should  arise, 
and  to  yield  him  implicit  obedience  in  all  lawful  things. 
Next  day,  as  they  travelled  on,  they  saw,  looking  back  at 
Taranta,  a  terrible  storm  playing  about  the  mountain, 
whose  lofty  summit  was  covered  with  the  blackest  of 
clouds,  from  which  flashes  of  the  most  brilliant  lightning 
could  be  seen  darting  forth  every  moment.  The  travellers 
were  glad  to  have  left  behind  so  storm-stricken  a  spot. 

That  same  day  Bruce  had  an  odd  experience.  Whilst 
he  and  his  following  were  resting  from  the  noontide  heat, 
there  descended  from  the  heights  above  the  chief  of  the 
neighbourhood,  attended  by  the   raggedest   of  retinues. 

31 


BRl^CE  PURCHASES  A  HORSE 

He  had  with  him  several  horses,  to  one  of  which  the 
Scotchman  took  a  particular  fancy.  It  was  a  handsome 
black  animal  of  the  Dongola  breed.  So  after  the  chief 
had  departed  again  to  his  palace  on  the  hill,  Bruce  sent  up 
a  man  to  bargain  for  the  horse.  The  price,  twelve  pounds, 
was  agreed  upon,  and  the  chief  promised  to  send  down  the 
purchase.  What  was  the  buyer"'s  disgust  when  he  found 
that  the  black  horse  had  turned  brown,  that  he  had  grown 
old,  that  he  had  lost  an  eye  !  He  at  once  sent  the  brute 
back  again,  and  demanded  his  rightful  property — a  pro- 
ceeding not  without  risk,  probably,  in  so  wild  and  lawless 
a  mountain  district,  and  amidst  the  peoples  subject  to  the 
chieftain.  However,  after  a  great  deal  of  disputing  and 
squabbling,  the  real  charger  was  produced.  It  had  been 
miserably  starved  by  its  master,  but  under  Bruce's  care  the 
black  horse  became  a  faithful  servant  and  friend,  as  the 
traveller  gratefully  styles  him.  To  this  splendid  animal 
Mirza,  as  it  was  called,  Bruce  more  than  once  owed  his 
life. 

The  caravan  was  now  approaching  the  country  of  the 
Shangalla,  or,  rather,  a  district  much  subject  to  incursions 
by  the  dreaded  Shangalla  tribes.  It  was  a  country  of 
extraordinary  fertility,  the  valleys  well  wooded  and  gay 
with  flowers.  The  wild-oats  that  covered  a  portion  of 
the  route  taken  by  our  travellers  were  so  tall  that  they 
swallowed  up  man  and  horse  together,  in  much  the  same 
way  as  the  jungle  grass  of  India  often  does.  This  district 
might  have  been  a  veritable  paradise,  but  the  peoples 
were  so  often  at  war  with  each  other,  and  the  country  so 
liable  to  the  inroads  of  enemies  from  without,  that  a  good 
portion  of  it  was  left   uncultivated.      The  scanty  crops 

32 


THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  ADOWA 

that  were  grown  were  seldom  got  in  without  bloodshed, 
the  labourers  having  to  work  gun  and  sword  in  hand,  so 
to  speak.  Bruce  judged  it  wise  to  instruct  his  men  to 
overhaul  their  arms  thoroughly,  and  be  prepared  at  any 
time  to  defend  themselves,  in  case  the  Shangalla  robbers 
should  appear.  Luckily  for  the  caravan,  it  was  suffered 
to  pass  unmolested  through  the  country.  It  is  more  than 
probable  that  the  combined  party  was  considered  too 
formidable  to  be  attacked. 

By  and  by  Bruce  gained  a  glimpse  of  the  mountains  of 
Adowa,  towards  which  he  had  been  travelling,  and  early 
in  December  he  arrived  at  the  town  of  the  same  name. 
The  mountains  hereabouts  the  explorer  found  to  be  un- 
like any  he  had  seen  in  other  countries.  "  Their  sides 
were  all  perpendicular,"'  he  writes,  "high,  like  steeples  or 
obelisks,  and  broken  into  a  thousand  diff'erent  forms." 
The  town  was  of  no  great  size,  but  it  was  strongly  placed 
and  defended.  It  was  so  intersected  by  breadths  of  trees 
and  flowers,  that  at  a  little  distance  it  seemed  like  an 
extensive  and  beautiful  park.  Within  its  borders,  how- 
ever, wickedness  and  cruelty  reigned  supreme.  The 
palace  of  the  chief,  on  a  commanding  height,  looked  like, 
and  was  in  reality,  a  huge  prison.  It  contained  within 
its  walls  more  than  three  hundred  wretched  prisoners  in 
irons,  some  of  whom  had  been  there  for  twenty  years  and 
more,  the  object  of  the  tyrant  being  to  extort  more  and 
more  money  from  them.  Bruce  stayed  ten  days  at  this 
mountain  stronghold  of  Adowa,  taking  care  to  visit  the 
ruins  of  Axum,  an  ancient  place  in  the  neighbourhood, 
which  must  once  have  been  a  splendid  city,  judging  from 
its  wonderful  remains. 

33  C 


ABYSSINIAN  CRUELTY 

He  was  a  witness,  not  long  after  leaving  Adowa,  to  a 
strange  and  a  cruel  spectacle.  Three  men  by  the  wayside 
were  observed  sitting  astride  a  cow  which  they  had  thrown 
to  the  ground.  They  made  a  deep  incision  in  the  animal's 
hind  quarters.  Bruce,  supposing  they  were  about  to 
slaughter  the  cow,  began  to  bargain  for  some  of  the  flesh 
for  his  party.  To  his  astonishment,  the  fellows  declared 
they  were  not  going  to  kill  the  animal.  Then,  to  the 
traveller''s  disgust,  they  proceeded  to  cut  out  of  the  living 
beast  two  large  steaks.  Bruce  did  not  see  the  actual 
operation,  for  he  had  turned  away  a  little,  not  wishing 
to  witness  the  slaughter  of  the  animal.  His  companions 
had  all  gone  on  ahead.  When  he  came  back  to  the  spot, 
there  the  steaks  were.  The  wi'etches  then  pinned  together 
the  portions  of  skin  on  the  two  sides  of  the  incision,  put 
over  the  wound  a  plaster  of  clay,  and  coolly  drove  on  the 
poor  brute  as  before. 

After  a  vexatious  detention  in  a  miserable  hill  village, 
whose  chief  seemed  disposed  to  put  an  end  to  the  journey 
altogether,  if  not  to  the  lives  of  the  whole  party,  the 
caravan  proceeded  in  the  direction  of  Mount  Lamalmon, 
one  of  the  loftiest  heights  of  the  country.  The  path  up 
was  arduous  in  the  extreme.  Its  greatest  breadth  in  any 
part  was  not  more  than  two  feet.  Far  over  the  heads  of 
the  travellers  towered  the  cliffs  and  rocks  ;  below  them  the 
precipices  dropped  away  almost  sheer  down  into  awful 
abysses.  It  tried  the  strongest  head  to  gaze  into  those 
fearful  depths.  Moreover,  the  path  was  much  broken 
up  by  torrents  of  water  and  by  fallen  rocks.  Up  such 
a  road  as  this  it  was  impossible  to  take  the  baggage 
in  bulk ;  it  had  to  be  carried  up  piece  by  piece,  and  for 

34 


SMALL-POX  AT  GONDAR 

only  short  distances  at  a  time.  The  labour  was  excessive, 
and  the  danger  to  man  and  beast  very  great.  The  mules, 
generally  so  sure-footed  on  steep  declivities,  kept  their 
footing  only  with  much  difficulty,  even  though  they 
passed  up  unburdened.  The  men  had  themselves  to  get 
the  baggage  up  as  best  they  might,  the  mules  being  quite 
useless  for  the  purpose.  As  in  the  case  of  Mount  Taranta, 
Bruce  had  to  take  two  days  for  the  ascent,  resting  for  the 
night  in  the  same  fashion,  exhausted,  on  the  open  flank 
of  the  hill. 

Gondar,  the  goal  for  which  he  had  been  making  all  the 
while,  was  reached  by  Bruce  in  the  middle  of  February. 
He  found  a  lodging  at  the  house  of  one  of  his  Moors,  and 
hoped  for  a  period  of  rest  and  quiet,  after  the  fatigues 
and  hardships  of  a  long  journey  over  the  mountains.  He 
was  not  left  long  in  peace,  however,  for  as  he  was  sitting 
reading  one  evening  shortly  after  his  arrival  in  the  town, 
he  was  surprised  and  alarmed  to  receive  a  visit  from  a 
party  of  armed  men.  The  leader  of  the  company  declared 
himself  to  be  the  Queen's  chamberlain,  and  he  went  on  to 
say  that  Her  Majesty,  having  heard  of  the  strangers  great 
skill  as  a  physician,  required  him  to  repair  to  the  palace, 
where  a  young  Prince  was  lying  ill  of  the  smallpox ! 
Here  was  a  strange  part  for  the  Scottish  traveller  to  play. 
But  he  went  to  the  palace  next  morning,  when,  to  his 
intense  relief,  he  learnt  that  the  Prince  had  been  put 
under  the  care  of  a  notable  saint  from  Waldubba.  This 
man's  treatment  consisted  in  writing  certain  characters 
with  ink  on  a  tin  plate ;  he  then  washed  off  the  mystic 
writing,  and  administered  the  liquid  as  a  medicine.  Most 
unfortunately  for  the  saintly  physician,  the  sick  Prince 

35 


BRUCE  AS  COURT  PHYSICIAN 

died  that  same  evening,  as  also  did  a  Princess  of  the  same 
royal  house. 

Just  as  Bruce  was  congratulating  himself  on  his  lucky 
escape  from  all  blame  in  this  matter,  he  was  summoned  in 
haste  to  the  palace  again,  and  there  he  was  installed, 
willy-nilly,  as  head  Court  physician  !  A  dangerous  post ; 
a  post  still  more  dangerous  to  refuse.  By  this  time  many 
members  of  the  family  were  sick,  and  Bruce  had  a  heavy 
task.  But  he  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost  and  tried  all 
his  skill,  and  so  fortunate  was  he  in  his  treatment  of 
the  patients,  that  they  all  recovered  under  his  hands,  save 
one.  His  reputation  was  made ;  he  became  a  great  man 
at  Court ;  he  lived  on  the  most  intimate  terms  with  the 
King  himself,  who  appointed  him  Governor  over  one  of  his 
provinces. 

Bruce,  as  we  have  said,  hoped  to  discover  in  Abyssinia  the 
long-sought  source  of  the  Nile,  and  he  fully  believed  himself 
to  have  succeeded,  as  not  a  few  others  believed  with  him, 
for  a  time.  Starting  from  Gondar,  he  was  introduced  by 
Fasil,  a  rebel  leader,  to  seven  chieftains  of  the  Gallas. 
Ferocious  savages  and  notorious  thieves  these  fellows  were, 
but  they  gave  him  their  protection ;  in  fact,  they  went 
through  the  ceremony  of  admitting  him  a  member  of  the 
Galla  peoples.  Without  some  such  help,  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  the  adventurous  Scotchman  would  never 
have  travelled  safely  through  the  country  of  these  fright- 
fully cruel  and  savage  tribes.  The  Gallas  gave  him  a 
horse  saddled  and  bridled,  with  the  words,  "  Take  this 
horse,  but  do  not  mount  it  yourself.  Drive  it  before 
you,  saddled  and  bridled  as  it  is  ;  no  man  of  Meitsha  will 
touch  you  when  he  sees  that  horse.""   And  so  Bruce  found  it. 

36 


THE  SOURCE  OF  THE  NILE 

It  was  on  the  3rd  of  November,  1770,  that  the  intrepid 
traveller  came  to  a  triple  range  of  momitains,  behind  which 
he  was  told  was  the  source  of  the  great  Nile.  He  imagined 
this  range  to  be  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon,  in  which  he 
was,  of  course,  mistaken.  However,  ascending  the  heights, 
he  was  strangely  moved  by  seeing  down  below  the  infant 
river.  It  was  a  mere  streamlet,  with  hardly  enough  water 
to  turn  a  wheel.  "I  could  not  satiate  myself  with  the 
sight,"  he  writes  delightedly,  "  revolving  in  ray  mind  all 
those  classical  prophecies  that  had  given  the  Nile  up  to 
perpetual  obscurity  and  concealment  ...  By  the  pro- 
tection of  Providence  and  my  own  intrepidity,  I  had 
gained  a  triumph  over  all  that  were  powerful  and  all  that 
were  learned  since  the  remotest  antiquity." 

He  was  led  into  the  village  of  Geesh,  hard  by,  and  was 
there  shown  a  sort  of  pool  in  the  hill-side,  with  a  piece  of 
green  sod  in  the  middle  of  the  water.  From  a  fount  in 
this  tiny  islet  issued  the  beginnings  of  the  mighty  Nile. 
Bruce  was  warned  to  pull  off  his  shoes  if  he  went  to  the 
fountain  itself,  since  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  though 
they  believed  not  in  God,  yet  held  the  river  to  be  a 
divinity. 

"  Half  undressed  as  I  was,  by  the  loss  of  my  sash,  and 
throwing  off  my  shoes,  I  ran  down  the  hill  and  came  to 
the  island  of  green  turf,  which  was  in  form  of  an  altar, 
apparently  the  work  of  art,  and  I  stood  in  rapture  over 
the  principal  fountain  which  rises  in  the  middle  of  it."" 

He  goes  on  to  say  :  '*  It  is  easier  to  guess  than  to 
describe  the  situation  of  my  mind  at  that  moment,  stand- 
ing in  that  spot  which  had  baffled  the  genius,  industry,  and 
inquiry  of  both  ancients  and  moderns  for  the  course  of  near 

37 


is 


TRIUMPHANT  REFLECTIONS 

thi'ee  thousand  years.  Kings  had  attempted  this  discovery 
at  the  head  of  armies,  and  each  expedition  was  distinguished 
from  the  last  only  by  the  difference  of  the  numbers  that 
had  perished,  and  agreed  alone  in  the  disappointment 
which  had  uniformly,  and  without  exception,  followed 
them  all.  .  .  .  Though  a  private  Briton,  I  triumphed 
here,  in  ray  own  mind,  over  Kings  and  their  armies." 

Bruce  was  mistaken  in  thinking  that  the  branch  whose 
birth  he  witnessed  was  the  main  stream  of  the  Nile,  and 
was  also  in  error  in  believing  himself  to  be  the  first 
European  to  look  upon  the  sight ;  yet  we  may  well  pardon 
the  exultation  of  a  gallant  and  successful  explorer. 


38 


CHAPTER  III 

ON    THE    WAY    TO    SRINAGAR 

Mr.  Daniell,  a  noted  artist^  travels  in  India,  three-quarters  of  a 
century  ago,  in  company  of  a  clergyman  friend — Through  the 
mountains  on  the  way  to  Srinagar — The  Coaduwar  Ghaut — Bad 
tidings  from  other  travellers  met — Mountains  on  fire — Tlie 
conflagration  extinguished  by  a  deluge — A  huge  rhinoceros  on 
the  path — The  artist  coolly  sketches  the  beast — An  escort 
arrives  from  the  Rajah  of  Srinagar — A  land  swarming  with 
dangerous  beasts— Trouble  with  the  Rajah's  men — The  effect  of 
a  sound  thrashing — The  mountain  torrents  and  their  dangers — 
A  man  whirled  off  by  one — Palanquins  with  jointed  poles — At 
the  bottom  of  an  awful  defile — The  stars  in  broad  daylight — A 
memorable  and  terrifying  thunderstorm  —  A  portmanteau 
dropped  into  an  abyss — Its  plucky  rescue  at  the  risk  of  a  man's 
life — A  frail  rope-bridge  and  its  terrors — An  elk  shot — A 
shooting-party  —  A  bear  suddenly  appears — Its  hostility — 
"  Don't  fire  !" — A  novel  plan  carried  out  by  the  natives — 
Bear  enticed  into  a  tree,  tlien  shot  into  space,  as  if  from  a 
catapult — The  tiger  country  at  length  reached — One  of  the 
brutes  reported  to  be  about — A  tiger-trap — A  fall  into  the 
pit — Royal  rage  of  the  baffled  beast — Desperate  attempts 
to  escape — Fearful  yells — Seven  bullets  required  to  give  the 
tiger  his  quietus. 

It  is  now  almost  exactly  three-quarters  of  a  century  since 
Mr.  William  Daniell,  a  noted  artist  in  his  day  and  a 
Royal  Academician,  went  on  his  travels  to  India.  He 
was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Gaunter,  a  clergyman,  and  the 
two  friends  spared  no   pains   to   see   the  great  Eastern 

39 


TRAVELLING  IN  INDIA 

peninsula  thoroughly.  They  visited  many  a  notable  city, 
but  did  not  neglect  the  wilder  parts  of  the  country. 
They  traversed  interminable  plains,  and  threaded  awful 
mountain  passes  and  gorges  ;  now  they  were  ferried  across 
the  wide  waters  of  lordly  rivers,  and  now  they  were  risking 
their  lives  in  the  passage  of  some  frightful  mountain 
torrent. 

Not  the  least  interesting  of  their  experiences  were  those 
that  accompanied  a  journey  to  Srinagar,  far  away  among 
the  remotest  fastnesses  of  the  stupendous  mountains  of  the 
north.  No  reader  needs  to  be  told  that  so  far  back  as  the 
early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  India  was  not  so 
well  provided  as  it  is  to-day  with  magnificent  high  roads, 
fine  bridges,  wayside  inns,  and  other  resting-places  for 
adventurous  travellers.  Moreover,  the  wilder  parts  of  the 
country  were  often  very  unsafe,  except  for  a  numerous  and 
well-armed  company. 

As  our  travellers  entered  the  Coaduwar  Ghaut,  and  thus 
the  mountains  proper,  they  received  from  men  they  met 
a  dismal  report  as  to  the  difficulties  of  the  mountain 
district  before  them,  and  they  were  especially  discouraged 
by  the  news  that  the  snow  had  already  begun  to  fall. 
Plucking  up  their  courage,  nevertheless,  Mr.  Daniell  and 
Mr.  Caunter  kept  on  their  way.  They  had  scarcely 
cleared  the  first  narrow  glen  when  they  were  surprised  and 
alarmed  to  see  apparently  the  whole  range  of  mountains 
before  them  in  a  blaze.  "  The  fire  swept  up  their  sides  to 
the  extent  of  several  miles,  undulating  like  the  agitated 
waves  of  the  ocean  when  reddened  by  the  slanting  beams 
of  the  setting  sun.  It  was  like  an  ignited  sea,  exhibiting 
an  effect  at  once  new  and  fearful." 

40 


SKETCHING  A  RHINOCEROS 

The  travellers  could  hardly  be  said  to  be  in  any  real 
danger,  situated,  as  they  were,  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep 
ravine,  along  which  tumbled  a  brawling  torrent.  They 
learnt  that  these  mountain  fires  are  often  caused  by  the 
swaying  of  the  tall  and  dry  bamboos,  the  violent  and  long- 
continued  friction  at  last  kindling  a  flame.  The  con- 
flagration was  extinguished  as  suddenly  as  it  had  begun, 
a  mighty  deluge  of  rain  coming  on,  and  drowning  the 
flames  with  its  floods. 

An  adventure  of  a  different  sort  soon  came  their  way. 
They  were  in  a  country  filled  with  all  kinds  of  game,  and 
sheltering  not  a  few  dangerous  animals.  Mr.  Daniell  and 
his  friend  had  just  turned  the  corner  of  a  precipitous  hill, 
when  suddenly  they  found  themselves  in  the  presence  of  a 
huge  rhinoceros,  the  brute  being  separated  from  them 
only  by  the  narrow  torrent,  though  it  was  on  a  somewhat 
higher  ledge  than  that  on  which  the  men  were  standing. 
To  the  hunter  pure  and  simple  this  would  have  been  a 
godsend.  And  so  it  was  to  the  artist.  Not  less  plucky 
than  the  hunter,  he  clambered  up  to  the  animal's  level,  and 
proceeded  coolly  to  sketch  the  beast.  Strange  to  say,  the 
rhinoceros  stood  still,  showing  no  signs  of  either  anger  or 
fear.  In  short,  Mr.  Daniell  finished  his  sketch  with  com- 
posure, notwithstanding  the  risks  he  ran.  Then,  unwilling 
to  rouse  to  fury  an  animal  their  guns  could  not  damage,  they 
fired  a  shot  only  with  the  view  of  frightening  the  brute  away. 
To  their  great  relief,  the  rhinoceros  did  depart,  but  only 
with  the  utmost  deliberation. 

A  halt  had  to  be  made  in  the  defiles  till  permission 
could  be  obtained  from  the  Rajah  of  Srinagar  to  proceed 
to  his  capital.     The  Prince,  in  reply  to  the  messengers 

41 


A  TROUBLESOME  ESCORT 

sent  by  the  Englishmen,  not  only  granted  the  required 
permit,  but  also  sent  an  escort  to  protect  the  party  on 
the  most  arduous  and  hazardous  portion  of  the  way. 
Presently,  passing  a  village  with  a  small  detachment 
of  troops,  they  were  fairly  in  the  RajaVs  territory.  This 
pass,  or  ghaut,  the  Englishmen  learnt,  had  to  be  entirely 
abandoned  by  the  soldiery  in  the  rainy  season,  the  defiles 
being  then  infested  by  an  immense  multitude  of  savage 
beasts  which  took  shelter  there — tigers,  leopards,  bears, 
hyenas,  and  other  beasts  of  prey. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  attendants  and 
bearers  had  been  sent  by  the  Rajah  himself,  our  travellers 
soon  found  they  were  likely  to  have  some  trouble  with  the 
fellows.  They  were  a  lazy  lot,  and  refused  to  carry  the 
burdens  assigned  to  them.  Before  long  the  majority  of 
them  deserted,  and  left  the  Englishmen  to  do  as  best 
they  could.  The  situation  was  a  serious  one,  and  the 
travellers  had  to  supply  the  places  of  the  deserters  without 
delay.  With  immense  difficulty  they  succeeded  in  gather- 
ing a  few  of  the  country  fellows,  but  what  was  their 
chagrin  when  these  also  showed  signs  of  defection  !  There- 
upon the  Englishmen  administered  a  sound  thrashing  to 
the  worst  of  the  offenders — a  strong  measure,  and  one  they 
were  most  reluctant  to  adopt.  Strange  to  say,  it  had  the 
desired  effect,  and  they  were  no  more  troubled  by  the 
laziness  of  their  followers,  though  it  was  necessary  to  keep 
a  constant  and  vigilant  watch  over  them. 

The  character  of  the  country  through  which  the  party 
passed  was  such  as  to  baffle  description.  As  they  say, "  to 
look  down  some  of  the  gaping  gulfs  which  arrested  our 
gaze  as  we  passed  them  required  no  ordinary  steadiness  of 

42 


DANGERS  OF  MOUNTAIN  TORRENTS 

brain  ;  and  the  road  by  which  we  had  to  descend  was 
frequently  so  steep  that  we  were  obliged  to  cling  to  the 
jagged  projections  of  rock,  or  to  the  few  stunted  shrubs 
that  appeared  here  and  there  in  our  path.  .  .  .  Impedi- 
ments began  to  multiply  upon  us."  Their  worst  trouble  was 
with  the  nullahs,  or  mountain  torrents,  which  they  often 
had  to  cross.  The  difficulty  of  crossing  some  of  these 
was  only  equalled  by  the  danger.  The  least  slip  would 
have  meant  great  peril,  and  probably  death,  for  such  is 
the  force  of  the  torrent,  and  so  many  are  the  cascades  and 
falls  in  its  course,  that  a  man  would  be  swirled  over 
rock  after  rock  before  any  attempt  could  be  made  to  save 
him,  if,  indeed,  it  were  possible  to  save  him  at  all. 

In  one  spot,  where  the  roar  of  the  streams  was  deafen- 
ing, and  the  reverberations  amongst  the  rock-faces  abso- 
lutely stunning,  one  of  the  party  was  whirled  from  his 
feet  in  mid-stream.  For  a  few  moments  there  was 
excitement  and  to  spare.  The  man  was  carried  down  at 
a  furious  rate,  and  it  seemed  as  if  nothing  could  save 
him.  As  it  happened,  fortunately,  farther  down  the 
torrent  a  tree  had  fallen  across  the  waters.  The  drown- 
ing man  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  clutch  a  branch 
of  this,  and  to  hang  on  for  dear  life,  till  he  could  be 
rescued. 

The  travellers  pursued  their  journey  for  the  most  part 
"  ia  silence  and  weariness."  Each  of  them  was  carried  in 
a  palanquin,  as  a  rule ;  but  so  wild  and  dangerous  was 
a  good  deal  of  the  country,  that  they  dared  not  make  use 
of  the  vehicles.  In  many  and  many  a  place  the  narrow- 
ness of  the  ledge  on  which  they  were  progressing,  and  the 
abruptness  of  the  turns  to  be  made,  rendered  it  impossible 

43 


STARS  IN  BROAD  DAYLIGHT 

to  use  poles  of  the  ordinary  kind  for  the  palanquins.  In 
those  mountain  districts  jointed  poles  took  their  place, 
making  it  possible  to  turn  sharp  corners  ;  but  it  may  well 
be  imagined  that  our  Englishmen  were  not  very  willing  to 
trust  themselves  to  their  bearers  in  such  spots. 

So  far  the  weather  had  been  favourable,  but  the 
inevitable  storm  was  at  hand.  The  cavalcade,  if  such  the 
travelling  party  could  be  called  when  there  were  no  horses, 
had  reached  the  most  forbidding  part  of  the  whole  moun- 
tain area.  They  found  themselves  at  the  bottom  of  a 
ravine  shaped  like  a  funnel,  to  the  depths  of  which  the  sun 
never  penetrated.  There  was  at  the  best  but  a  dismal 
twilight  down  there ;  so  dark  was  it,  in  fact,  that  as  they 
looked  up  from  the  profound  depths  of  the  gorge  they 
could  see  the  stars  in  the  sky,  though  it  was  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon.  The  sky  seemed  to  be  "  one  uniform  tint 
of  the  deepest  purple,  while  the  brilliancy  with  which  the 
stars  emitted  their  vivid  fires  altogether  baffles  description. 
Nothing  could  exceed  the  splendour  of  the  scene." 

The  brightness  of  the  day  above  became  now  suddenly 
overcast,  and  almost  without  the  least  warning  the  storm 
was  upon  them.  The  darkness  at  the  bottom  of  their  awful 
defile  became  in  a  moment  or  two  intense.  Then  the  rains 
began  to  descend,  and  the  travellers  and  their  servants 
were  fain  to  take  shelter  under  a  huge  projecting  rock 
which  they  found  hard  by.  The  lightning  was  appalling 
in  its  frequency  and  its  intensity.  From  the  spot  where 
the  men  stood  could  be  seen  many  tall,  needle-like  peaks 
above,  "  which  seemed  to  plunge  their  tall  spires  into  the 
skies,  and  absolutely  to  prop  the  firmament."  These  peaks 
at  every  flash  were  lighted  up  in  a  way  that  would  have 

44 


A  PLUCKY  RESCUE 

been  grand  had  it  not  been  also  terrifying.  As  for  the 
thunder,  it  resounded  from  rock  to  rock,  and  from  flank  to 
flank,  till  it  became,  as  it  were,  one  continuous  and 
tremendous  crash.  When  there  did  come  a  second  or  two 
of  silence  it  was  so  intense  as  to  be  absolutely  painful. 
The  storm  did  not  last  many  minutes,  and  did  no  damage 
to  the  travellers,  luckily,  but  it  made  on  them  an  impres- 
sion that  would  never  be  effaced.  The  tempest  ceased  as 
suddenly  as  it  had  begun,  and  in  a  few  moments  after  the 
skies  were  bright  again. 

Continuing  their  journey,  the  party  found  themselves  on 
a  narrow  shelf ;  above,  the  mountain  towered  to  an  enor- 
mous height ;  below,  the  precipice  fell  away  sheer  into  the 
depths  below.  At  this  point  one  of  the  porters  dropped  a 
bag  or  small  portmanteau,  which,  of  course,  fell  into  the 
gulf.  The  Englishmen  looked  upon  their  property  as  lost 
for  ever,  but  to  their  astonishment,  and  indeed  dismay,  the 
man  announced  his  determination  to  fetch  the  lost  article 
again.  "  A  stout  cord,  composed  of  hair,  was  passed 
round  the  limb  of  a  tree  that  projected  over  the  precipice. 
The  end  was  firmly  tied  to  a  thick  bamboo,  about  fifteen 
inches  long,  upon  which  the  man  placed  his  feet,  and 
gi-asping  the  rope  in  both  hands,  was  slowly  lowered  into 
the  void.  As  the  face  of  the  precipice  sloped  gradually 
inward,  he  was  not  within  reach  of  it  during  the  whole  of 
his  descent.  When  about  fifty  yards  below  the  summit, 
he  was  swayed  in  an  alarming  degree  by  the  wind,  which, 
pouring  down  the  chasm  and  not  finding  a  ready  vent,  was 
forced  back  again  in  strong  eddies  that  seemed  at  times  to 
whirl  him  round  with  dangerous  velocity.  He,  however, 
still  maintained  his  hold  until  he  appeared  but  a  speck, 

45 


A  FRAIL  ROPE  BRIDGE 

when,  the  cord  slackening,  it  was  clear  he  had  reached  his 
destination.  After  a  short  time,  upon  a  signal  being 
given  from  below  by  a  sudden  jerk  of  the  cord,  the  men 
above  began  to  haul  up  their  companion,  who,  from  the 
additional  weight,  had  evidently  recovered  his  burden. 
They  pulled  him  up  much  more  expeditiously  than  they 
had  let  him  down,  and  he  soon  reappeared  uninjured,  with 
the  portmanteau  upon  his  shoulders." 

That  afternoon  the  travellers  came  upon  the  first  of 
the  rope-bridges  so  common  in  the  mountain  districts  of 
Northern  India.  They  gazed  with  alarm  upon  the  frail 
apparatus,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  they  resigned 
themselves  to  the  inevitable.  The  ropes — there  were  two 
— were  made  of  twisted  creepers,  and  were  an  inch  and  a 
half  in  diameter.  A  sort  of  hoop  spanned  these  ropes,  and 
on  the  lower  rim  of  this  the  adventurous  traveller  seated 
himself;  then,  holding  a  rope  in  either  hand,  he  proceeded 
to  pull  himself  across.  To  the  hiilmen  the  business 
seemed  easy  enough,  and  not  in  the  least  terrifying, 
but  the  case  was  different  with  the  Englishmen.  To  be 
thus  suspended  on  such  a  crazy  apparatus,  a  hundred  feet 
above  a  boiling  torrent,  the  whole  machine  vibrating 
violently  in  the  strong  wind  the  while,  tried  the  nerves  of 
both.  Fortunately  the  passage  was  made  by  all  the  party 
in  safety,  and  the  terrors  of  it  were  at  once  forgotten  in 
the  excitements  of  the  chase.  The  last  man  had  scarce 
crossed,  when  an  elk,  or  moose-deer,  was  started,  and  a 
helter-skelter  after  it  at  once  took  place.  Finally  the  elk 
was  shot,  and  proved  to  be  a  very  fine  animal. 

Sport  of  a  more  exciting  character  presently  appeared. 
Mr.  Daniel!   went  off'  with  his  gun   into   a  side  ravine, 

46 


ENCOUNTER  WITH  A  BEAR 

in  search  of  jungle-fowl,  the  birds  being  fairly  abundant  in 
the  place,  but  exceedingly  shy.  There  were  with  him  two 
of  the  hillmen,  and  after  a  very  stiff  and  risky  climb,  they 
had  just  gained  the  top  of  a  precipice,  when  a  bear  was 
observed  hastening  towards  them.  It  was  evident  the 
brute  was  bent  on  mischief,  and  Mr.  Daniell  was  about  to 
fire,  regretting,  however,  that  his  gun  was  loaded  only  with 
large  shot.  At  this  moment  one  of  the  natives  intervened, 
and  begged  the  master  to  leave  the  bear  to  him,  and  he 
would  attack  it  unarmed.  The  Englishman  was  astounded, 
but  seeing  the  coolness  and  confidence  of  the  hillmen, 
agreed  to  let  them  try  their  skill,  holding  his  weapon 
ready,  should  it  after  all  be  needed. 

Almost  on  the  very  edge  of  the  precipice  grew  a  tree, 
whose  branches  stretched  over  the  abyss,  and  seemed  to 
be  very  pliant  but  very  strong.  Without  a  moment's 
hesitation  the  hillman  approached  the  bear,  and,  exciting 
it,  drew  its  attention  from  the  Englishman  to  himself  In 
a  rage  the  bear  made  after  the  man,  who  thereupon  climbed 
with  astonishing  agility  into  the  tree,  the  bear  as  nimbly 
following.  The  fellow  now  selected  one  of  the  longest  of 
the  upper  branches,  and  attaching  to  the  end  of  it  a  strong- 
cord,  threw  the  other  end  down  to  his  companion  below. 
The  branch  was  speedily  pulled  down  with  all  the  man's 
force,  till  it  projected  far  over  the  edge  of  the  precipice. 

The  chief  operator  now  crept  cautiously  along  the 
branch  as  far  as  he  dared,  the  bear  following.  Then, 
seizing  the  rope,  the  fellow  slid  like  a  monkey  to  the 
ground.  The  bear,  thus  unexpectedly  deprived  of  its 
victim,  attempted  to  turn,  in  order  to  retrace  its  steps. 
No  sooner,  however,  had  it  relaxed  its  grasp  of  the  bough 

47 


THE  TIGER  COUNTRY  REACHED 

for  this  purpose,  than  the  hillman  suddenly  cut  the  cord, 
which  had  been  securely  tied  to  the  stump  of  a  tree,  and 
the  depressed  branch  instantly  gained  its  original  position 
with  an  irresistible  momentum.  The  suddenness  and 
vigour  of  the  recoil  shook  the  bear  from  its  hold,  launch- 
ing it,  like  the  fragment  of  a  rock  from  a  catapult,  into 
the  empty  air.  Uttering  a  stifled  yell,  it  was  hurled  over 
the  precipice,  and,  falling  with  a  dull  crash  upon  the 
rocks  beneath,  no  doubt  soon  became  a  prey  to  the 
vultures  and  jackals.  The  address  with  which  the  bold 
highlander  accomplished  this  dangerous  exploit  was  as 
astonishing  as  it  was  novel. 

It  was  not  till  after  the  visit  to  Srinagar  had  ended, 
and  the  travellers  had  got  almost  clear  of  the  mountains 
again,  that  they  saw  anything  of  the  tiger,  the  most 
dreaded  of  all  the  wild  beasts  of  India.  The  chief  of  the 
district,  who  showed  himself  most  friendly  and  hospitable, 
promised  his  guests  an  exhibition  of  tiger-trapping  as 
performed  in  the  locality.  As  it  happened,  one  of  these 
animals  had  been  discovered  in  a  wood  not  far  away 
within  the  last  few  hours.  So  the  Englishmen  stayed  to 
watch  the  operations,  in  which,  as  the  course  of  events 
showed,  there  was  little  risk  to  the  spectator. 

A  large  hole  was  dug  in  the  ground,  with  sides  sloping 
inwards,  to  a  depth  of  twelve  feet,  the  area  of  the  hole  at 
the  sui'face  being  about  a  couple  of  yards  square.  The 
pit  was  now  concealed  by  a  slight  framework  of  bamboo, 
on  which  a  quantity  of  grass  was  strewn.  At  the  approach 
of  evening  a  goat  was  tethered  on  the  top  of  the  pit,  the 
covering  being  strong  enough  to  support  its  weight, 
but  nothing  heavier.     Everything  being  now  ready,  the 

48 


A   NOVEL    METHOD   OF    KILLING   A    BeAR 

Ont;  ot  the  hill  menattracted  the  bear's  attention  to  himself,  then  swarmed  out  on  the 
branch  cf  a  tree,  to  which  a  cord  had  been  attached.  The  bear  followed,  the  man  promptly 
slipped  back  to  safety  on  the  rope,  which  was  then  pulled  so  as  to  make  the  branch  a  strong 
spring.     When  the  rope  was  cut  the  bear  was  shot  into  space. 


A  TIGER-TRAP 

watchers  concealed  themselves  behind  a  few  trees  to  await 
the  result.     The  night  was  unusually  dark. 

It  was  not  till  towards  morning  that  their  wishes  were 
gratified.  "  We  observed  the  beautiful  beast  rush  from  its 
lurking-place,  and,  when  within  about  five  yards  of  the 
devoted  goat,  spring  upon  it  with  a  yell  so  ferocious  that 
I  trembled  where  I  stood,  though  removed  from  all  chance 
of  danger.  The  platform  instantly  gave  way  with  a  crash, 
and  the  tiger  and  goat  both  fell  into  the  hollow  beneath. 
As  soon  as  the  former  found  itself  a  prisoner,  it  howled 
with  rage,  lashed  its  sides  with  its  tail,  erected  the  fur 
upon  its  back,  and  exhibited  fearful  demonstrations  of 
fury.  It  made  the  most  desperate  efforts  to  escape, 
springing  up  the  sides  of  the  shaft,  and  occasionally  cling- 
ing to  the  very  edge.  The  earth,  however,  was  so  soft 
that  there  was  no  hold  for  its  claws,  so  that  it  always  fell 
back  ;  but  upon  reaching  the  ground  and  finding  its  efforts 
at  release  invariably  foiled,  its  fury  redoubled.  Its  yells 
were  dreadful.  The  goat  was  quite  dead,  but  remained  un- 
touched by  its  destroyer,  which  at  length  lay  upon  its  belly 
almost  exhausted  with  its  exertions.  At  this  moment  our 
host  advanced  and  fired  at  the  dreaded  captive  as  it  lay 
panting  and  powerless.  The  ball  took  effect,  but  not 
mortally.  The  sudden  pang  only  roused  the  tiger  to  renewed 
exertions,  in  order  to  retaliate  upon  its  assailant,  who 
deliberately  loaded  and  fired  until  the  excited  beast  was 
destroyed."  So  tenacious  was  it  of  life,  that  it  received 
seven  balls  in  different  parts  of  its  body  before  it  finally 
succumbed. 


49 


CHAPTER  IV 

A    SOJOURN    IN    SOCOTRA 

The  island  of  Socotra — Mr.  Wellsted,  an  Eng'lish  scientist  and 
explorer — A  very  mountainous  country — Almost  impassable 
rocks — Camel  slips — A  liind-foot  in  a  crack — Huge  fall  of 
mountain — Extraordinary  storms — Into  a  cave  for  shelter — A 
night  of  tempest  —  Lost  camels — Inconceivable  fury  of  the 
blasts — Natives  puzzled  with  the  strangers — The  men  hostile- 
Terror  at  sight  of  a  Nubian — Attack  by  four  Bedouins  with 
clubs — Impudent  and  intrusive  Arabs — An  Englishman's  house 
is  his  castle — Ali  kicked  out  by  John  Sunday — Natives  afraid 
of  scientific  instruments — Tlie  sextant  "is  of  the  devil"  ! — 
Thirty  plunderers  appear — '^'What  is  to  prevent  us  from  taking 
what  wc  want  ?"  —  "  Only  this  "  —  Two  bullet-holes  —  Cave- 
dwellers — "Teeming  with  vermin" — No  wild  beasts  in  Socotra 
— An  adventure  with  a  snake — A  refractory  and  disloyal  guide 
— "We  shall  see  in  the  morning" — Ali  attacks  Sunday  with  a 
club — Retaliation — Tlie  Englishman  to  the  rescue — Arab  swords 
flourished  over  his  head — A  narrow  escape — The  Cadi  and  Ali 
— Hostile  Arabs  biding  their  time  for  revenge — The  English- 
man and  Sunday  in  danger  —  Magnificent  spot  amongst  the 
granite  mountains — Buried  alive. 

Few  are  the  travellers  who  have  visited  the  island  of 
Socotra — off  the  East  African  cape  Guardafui — or  per- 
haps it  would  be  more  correct  to  say,  who  have  written 
at  any  length  on  their  experiences  there.  But  we  have 
an  interesting  account  by  Mr.  Wellsted,  a  Fellow  of  the 
Royal  Society,  and  a  traveller  of  some  note  in  his  day, 

50 


ALMOST  IMPASSABLE  ROCKS 

now  more  than  sixty  years  ago.  In  the  course  of  his 
Eastern  wanderings,  Mr,  Wellsted  paid  a  visit  of  some 
duration  to  this  mountainous  island.  For  Socotra  is  very 
mountainous  ;  indeed,  few  territories  of  the  size  can  boast 
a  more  nigged  surface,  and  many  of  its  heights  are  singu- 
larly arduous  and  precipitous,  and  thus  difficult  to 
traverse. 

His  first  inland  excursion  brought  him  heavy  work, 
from  the  very  shore,  to  which  in  parts  the  mountains 
extend.  His  camels  found  the  smooth  limestone  rocks 
hardly  passable  at  all.  As  for  the  men,  they  preferred 
to  trust  to  their  own  hands  and  knees,  crawling  on  all 
fours  past  the  most  dangerous  place.  They  then  turned 
to  watch  the  progress  of  the  camels,  which  had  been  left 
to  their  own  devices.  Three  of  the  animals  crossed  in 
safety,  but  the  fourth  was  less  lucky.  At  the  worst  part 
of  the  passage  he  slipped,  and  began  sliding  down  the 
steep  rock.  It  was  a  moment  of  suspense  for  the  owner, 
and  it  was  with  relief  that  he  observed  the  animal  put  his 
hind  foot  into  a  crack  and  stop  his  headlong  progress.  It 
was  a  clever  manoeuvre  on  the  part  of  the  camel.  A  few- 
feet  more,  and  the  beast  would  have  rolled  over  the  preci- 
pice and  been  dashed  to  pieces.  Many  and  many  a  similar 
dangerous  spot  did  the  explorer  come  across  in  the  heart 
of  the  mountains. 

A  little  later  on,  he  was  witness  to  a  strange  spectacle 
at  the  place  just  mentioned.  He  had  hardly  passed  the 
spot  when  his  attention  was  arrested  by  a  low,  rumbling 
sound  behind  him.  Instantly  turning,  he  beheld,  to  his 
great  astonishment,  a  huge  mass  separate  itself  from  the 
main  body  of  the  hill.     "Its  first  course  was  but  slow, 

61 


EXTRAORDINARY  STORINIS 

though  down  a  slope.  Its  velocity,  however,  quickl}'  in- 
creased, a  short  projection  caught  the  base,  and  over 
toppled  the  whole  hill — for  so  I  may,  from  its  magnitude, 
term  it.  The  crashing  which  immediately  succeeded  was 
terrific ;  but  a  cloud  of  dust  arose,  and  I  could  no  longer 
trace  its  headlong  career.  The  effects,  however,  were 
apparent  enough  as  soon  as  the  dust  cleared  away,  and  a 
shock,  like  that  of  an  earthquake,  announced  that  the 
main  body  had  reached  the  sea." 

The  storms  the  traveller  had  to  encounter  on  the  moun- 
tain heights  were  frequent  and  of  tremendous  severity,  and 
one  was  not  long  before  it  overtook  him.  He  had,  luckily, 
time  to  run  for  shelter  to  a  cavern  in  the  mountain-side, 
from  which  he  watched  the  extraordinary  war  of  the 
elements.  The  gale  increased  to  a  hurricane ;  the  lightning 
flashed  among  the  glens ;  the  thunder  rolled  among  the 
peaks ;  the  waters  descended  in  the  torrent-beds  as  if  they 
would  sweep  all  before  them.  Fortunately  dry  wood  was 
found  in  the  cave,  and  soon  a  fire  was  kindled  and  a 
capital  stew  was  cooked.  The  rocky  floor  of  the  cavern 
made  but  a  hard  bed,  yet  there  was  at  any  rate  shelter 
from  the  pitiless  storm  without,  and  there  the  traveller 
and  his  men  spent  the  night.  In  the  morning  it  was 
found  that  the  servants,  in  theii-  hurry  to  escape  from 
the  tempest,  had  neglected  to  tether  the  camels.  A  whole 
day  was  occupied  in  wandering  up  and  down  the  mountains 
in  search  of  the  missing  animals. 

The  force  of  the  winds  on  the  heights  was  at  times 
terrific,  and  often  exposed  the  mountaineers  to  no  little 
danger.  Mr.  Wellsted  wi-ites :  "  The  fury  of  these  blasts 
was  almost  inconceivable.     Pent  up  by  the  hills  on  either 

62 


HOSTILITY  OF  NATIVES 

hand,  they  roared  through  the  valleys  with  a  strength 
which  threatened  to  carry  all  before  them  ;  even  our  camels 
were  occasionally  compelled  to  turn  or  lie  down.  Branches 
of  trees,  sand,  pebbles,  and  even  birds  were  swept  along  by 
the  current.  Water  was  hurled  past  in  sheets,  and  we 
heard  from  the  Bedouins  that  their  cattle,  by  similar 
storms,  were  frequently  driven  over  the  precipices.""  The 
explorer  found  that  the  native  Socotrans  were  always  very 
terrified  when  there  was  forked  lightning,  nor  did  their 
frequent  experience  of  it  serve  to  lessen  their  fears. 

The  natives  of  the  interior  were  at  first  greatly  puzzled, 
and  no  little  alarmed,  by  the  advent  of  the  Englishman 
and  his  companions  ;  more  than  that,  the  men  were  dis- 
posed to  be  decidedly  hostile.  His  Nubian  servant,  who 
was  dressed  in  European  fashion,  particularly  frightened 
the  women ;  the}'  took  him  to  be  some  infernal  sprite.  On 
one  occasion,  having  ascended  to  an  elevation  of  over  two 
thousand  feet,  the  traveller  was  seated  sketching,  his  at- 
tendants having  strolled  to  a  distance.  Suddenly  three  or 
four  Bedouins  made  their  appearance,  armed  with  thick 
clubs.  They  had  been  watching  him  for  some  time,  and 
were  now  in  a  quarrelsome  mood.  The  situation  was  not 
a  pleasant  one,  and  Wellsted  was  obliged  to  have  recourse 
to  various  little  artifices  to  keep  them  quiet.  It  was  with 
no  little  relief  that  he  saw  his  servants  return. 

The  Arabs  were  always  more  assuming  and  more  arrogant 
than  the  native  Socotra  folk,  and  the  Englishman  was 
much  annoyed  by  their  habit  of  walking  into  his  tent 
whenever  they  had  a  mind.  No  hints  or  even  remon- 
strances were  sufficient  to  keep  them  out.  "  It  is  the 
custom  of  our  country,"  they  would  retort ;    to    which 

53 


INTRUSIVE  ARABS 

Wellsted  replied  :  "  But  such  is  not  ours  ;"  and  he  closed 
the  entrance  of  the  tent.  There  was  one  fellow,  Ali  by 
name,  who  would  not  be  said  nay.  He  presently  attempted 
to  enter  by  force.  The  master  thought  it  was  time  to 
interfere,  so  he  directed  his  servant — John  Sunday,  the 
Nubian  —  to  kick  the  intruder  out,  which  Sunday  did 
with  great  gusto,  and  Ali  was  pitched  headlong  from 
the  apartment,  much  as  one  might  have  kicked  out 
a  cat. 

The  explorer  was  apprehensive  lest  he  might  suffer  losses 
from  the  thieving  habits  of  the  natives.  He  was,  however, 
somewhat  reassured  when  he  saw  how  terrified  the  men  all 
were  by  his  scientific  instruments.  Nothing  would  induce 
one  of  them  to  touch  the  sextant,  and  as  for  the  telescope, 
when  it  was  put  unexpectedly  in  the  hands  of  another 
fellow,  it  was  instantly  thrown  to  the  ground  with  loud 
cries  of  horror — "  It  is  of  the  devil !"  But  it  was  evident 
the  minds  of  the  natives  were  often  thinking  of  possible 
plunder,  and  when  one  day  some  thirty  of  them  came 
to  the  tent,  Wellsted  determined  to  read  them  a  lesson. 
After  whispering  together  for  a  considerable  time,  the 
savages  asked  coolly  what  was  to  prevent  them  from  taking 
whatever  they  wanted  of  his  goods.  "  Nothing  more  than 
this,"  was  the  quiet  reply  as  he  took  up  his  double-barrelled 
rifle.  He  levelled  the  gun  at  a  tree  a  dozen  yards  off,  and 
one  after  the  other  the  bullets  passed  clean  through  the 
trunk,  as  good  luck  would  have  it.  "  Away  scampered 
the  whole  party ;  they  probed  the  orifices  with  their 
fingers,  looked  at  each  other  in  mute  astonishment,  and 
then  quietly  slunk  away."  They  could  not  understand 
the  suddenness  of  the  result,  nor  how  the  powder  was 

54 


CAVE-DWELLERS 

lighted.     But  the  lesson  was  enough,  and  the  gang  went 
empty  away. 

Mr.  Wellsted  was  surprised  to  find  to  what  an  extent 
the  islanders  used  caves  for  dwellings.  These  caverns  were 
to  be  found  at  various  elevations  and  nearly  all  over  the 
mountain  districts.  He  climbed  up  to  one  of  the  largest, 
and  found  it,  spacious  as  it  was,  crowded  not  only  with 
human  beings,  but  with  sheep  and  goats.  Not  content 
with  their  tame  flocks,  the  cave-dsvellers  caught  wild  goats, 
using  for  this  purpose  nets  of  special  construction,  the 
making  of  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  old  women  of  the 
community.  Amongst  the  irregularities  of  the  rough  and 
blackened  roofs  roosted  a  vast  number  of  pigeons  and  other 
wild  birds.  Still  more  numerous,  by  a  good  deal,  the 
traveller  tells  us,  were  the  insects  of  various  sorts.  One  and 
all  these  abodes  were  "  teeming  with  an  almost  incredible 
quantity  of  vermin."  A  curious  proof  of  this  was  pre- 
sently seen.  As  the  strangers  were  resting  in  the  shade 
near  the  cave,  a  woman  driving  a  flock  of  sheep  passed 
near.  With,  her  were  two  boys,  who  had  their  mouths 
and  nostrils  covered  with  square  pieces  of  cloth.  On 
inquiry  it  was  found  that  the  cloth  was  intended  as  a  pro- 
tection from  a  certain  noisome  insect,  which,  in  the  human 
subject,  produced  severe  inflammations.  Wellsted's  ser- 
vants could  never  be  persuaded  to  remain  inside  one  of 
these  native  rock-dwellings;  whatever  the  weather,  they 
preferred  to  stay  outside. 

It  is  a  curious  fact,  as  the  explorer  remarks,  that  the 
island  of  Socotra  is  entirely  without  those  dangerous  wild 
beasts  which  so  abound  in  the  adjacent  and  not  far  distant 
regions  of  the  African  continent  and  Arabia.     He  had, 

55 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  SNAKE 

consequently,  no  lions  or  elephants  or  hyenas  to  fear,  nor 
the  rhinoceros  or  hippopotamus.  But  there  were  snakes 
in  Socotra,  and  the  traveller  had  a  narrow  escape  in  one 
instance.  He  and  his  men  had  climbed  up  a  rugged  glen, 
very  steyp-sided  and  narrow,  often  pulling  themselves  up 
by  means  of  the  bushes  or  the  roots  of  trees.  After  about 
a  couple  of  hours  of  this  hard  work,  the  Englishman  was 
about  to  seize  hold  of  what  he  took  to  be  another  bit  of 
root,  when  Sunday,  quick  as  lightning,  snatched  his  hand 
away.  It  was  a  snake,  as  was  seen  a  moment  later,  when 
the  reptile  lifted  its  head  to  strike.  It  was  probably 
heavy  after  a  big  feed,  or  the  traveller  would,  to  a  cer- 
tainty, have  been  bitten.  This  particular  snake  the  natives 
called  a  Java.  It  is  most  deadly,  and  the  victim  of  its 
bite  never  survives  more  than  a  few  hours.  Wellsted  had 
in  the  course  of  his  much  wandering  been  often  enough 
in  the  way  of  snakes,  but  this  was  his  narrowest  escape. 

He  had  a  good  deal  of  trouble  with  one  of  the  guides 
he  had  brought  to  the  island  with  him.  This  Hamed,  an 
Arab,  was  found  out  in  continual  acts  of  fraud  and  dis- 
honesty towards  his  employer.  What  was  of  almost  more 
serious  consequence  was,  that  the  fellow  was  trying  to 
embroil  him  and  his  attendants  with  the  natives.  At 
length,  even  the  good-natured  Englishman's  forbearance 
gave  way,  and  he  discharged  the  man.  Hamed  began  to 
be  insolent,  and  intimated  his  intention  of  remaining 
whether  the  master  liked  it  or  not.  This  was  too  much 
for  his  employer.  "  We  shall  see,"  he  cried,  "  in  the 
morning.  If  I  then  find  you  here  I  will  break  your 
bones  !"  "WQien  the  morning  came,  there  was  nothing  to 
be  seen  of  Hamed. 

56 


RETALIATION 

The  discomfited  Ali  had  not  forgotten  Sunday  and  his 
performances,  and  was  waiting  for  a  chance  of  retaliating 
on  him.  One  day,  a  woman  screamed  to  Wellsted : 
"  Why,  they  are  murdering  your  servant !"  Out  rushed 
the  master,  and  found  Ali  and  Sunday  on  the  ground, 
engaged  in  a  desperate  grapple,  the  Nubian  on  the  top, 
however,  and  holding  the  other  fast  by  the  throat.  Other 
Arabs  had  run  up,  and  would  have  cut  Sunday  to  pieces  if 
left  to  their  own  devices.  Wellsted  sprang  in  and  sepa- 
rated the  two  combatants,  and  directed  Sunday  to  follow 
him.  The  Arabs  hemmed  in  master  and  man ;  they 
flourished  their  swords  over  their  heads  in  frantic  fashion  ; 
they  abused  and  insulted  the  two  strangers.  Things  had 
reached  a  dangerous  pass,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  if 
the  Arab  mob  had  had  anybody  to  assume  the  position  of 
leader,  there  would  soon  have  been  an  end  of  the  English- 
man and  Sunday. 

The  Nubian  explained  to  his  master  that,  while  he  had 
been  quietly  gathering  vegetables,  the  Arab  had  come  up 
stealthily  behind  him,  and  had  struck  him  violently  on  the 
head  with  a  club.  Thus  attacked,  Sunday  had  closed  with 
his  antagonist,  and  a  severe  struggle  had  taken  place.  As 
it  happened,  however,  the  black  had  learnt  to  use  his  fists  in 
the  English  fashion,  and,  as  his  master  whimsically  puts  it, 
"  thanks  to  his  Nubian  birth  for  the  thickness  of  his  skull, 
and  his  English  education  for  the  use  of  his  fists,"  Sunday 
would  no  doubt  soon  have  come  off  conqueror.  But  by 
this  time  the  Cadi  had  been  sent  for,  and  Ali  and  his 
friends  swore  that  his  wounds  were  very  serious,  whereas 
they  were  in  reality  but  slight,  and  what  Ali  had  got  he 
richly  deserved.     Then  a  number  of  the  Arabs  came  to 

57 


MASTER  AND  MAN  IN  DANGER 

Wellsted  with  loud  complaints  that  a  Mussulman  had  been 
struck  by  a  Christian  slave.  The  Englishman's  back  was 
now  up,  and  he  gave  them  a  bit  of  his  mind.  "  None  in 
the  employ  of  the  English  are  slaves,  but  servants,  whom, 
so  long  as  they  serve  us  with  fidelity,  we  consider  ourselves 
bound  to  protect  with  our  lives,  and  any  further  attempt 
to  molest  Sunday  I  shall  consider  as  addressed  to  myself."" 

The  traveller  says  that  if  anybody  is  inclined  to  smile 
at  the  lofty  tone  he  assumed  on  this  occasion,  it  will  be 
because  that  person  does  not  understand  the  conditions  in 
which  the  explorer  was  placed,  and,  moreover,  does  not 
know  the  character  of  the  peoples  with  whom  that  explorer 
had  to  deal.  A  confident  assumption  of  superiority  and 
authority,  so  long  as  it  is  tempered  with  judgment,  is 
"  one  of  the  best  qualities  which  a  traveller  can  possess." 
The  incident  ended,  apparently,  but  it  was  soon  clearly 
seen  that  the  Arabs  were  only  biding  their  time,  and  master 
and  man  were  compelled  henceforth  to  go  out  together, 
and  well  armed,  so  as  to  prevent  an  open  attack.  The 
friendly  Socotrans  began  to  be  alarmed  at  the  state  of 
things,  and  told  the  Englishman  they  would  be  glad,  for 
his  own  sake,  when  the  ship  took  him  away  from  the 
island.  He  determined,  therefore,  to  quit  the  place  as 
soon  as  he  had  completed  the  surveys  he  desired  to 
make. 

Socotra  yields  to  no  part  of  the  East  in  wildness  and 
romantic  grandeur.  One  spot  particularly  pleased  the 
traveller.  "  In  the  evening  we  pitched  our  tent  in  the 
centre  of  an  enormous  hollow  in  the  mountains,  not  less 
than  three  miles  in  diameter.  At  but  a  few  yards  distance 
a  beautiful  stream  murmured  its  gentle   course;   not  a 

58 


BURIAL  IN  SOCOTRA 

breath  of  wind  could  reach  us,  and  the  wild  and  plaintive 
notes  of  the  wood-pigeon  alone  broke  the  silence  and  soli- 
tude of  the  scene.  Grey,  steep,  and  towering,  the  granite 
spires  rose  to  an  elevation  of  five  thousand  feet,  and  the 
geologist  would  have  derived  great  interest  from  witnessing 
fragments  of  the  lower  formation,  either  borne  up  between 
two  peaks,  or  curiously  wrapped  like  a  mantle  round 
others.  The  junction  also  between  the  limestone  and  the 
granite  was  beautifully  exposed  to  view,  appearing  as  if  a 
huge  mass  in  a  state  of  fusion  had  subsided  over  the  lower, 
which,  in  spires,  reared  themselves  beneath." 

Many  of  the  Socotran  caves  had  once  been  used  as 
burial-places,  but  in  later  times  a  less  wise  practice  had 
come  into  vogue  with  respect  to  the  disposal  of  the  dead. 
One  day  Wellsted  noted  an  Arab  leaving  a  certain  spot. 
Then,  to  his  great  surprise,  the  traveller  found  an  old  man 
lying  there  in  a  little  hollow  that  had  been  scooped  out  of 
the  sand.  Over  the  prostrate  body  was  a  piece  of  old  and 
tattered  cloth,  while  by  his  side  were  a  few  fragments  of 
food.  The  old  man  was  all  but  dead.  Then  Wellsted 
learnt  that  when  the  aged  became  unable  to  work,  it  was 
the  custom  of  the  island  thus  to  expose  them.  Food  was 
brought  them,  however,  so  long  as  they  were  able  to  eat 
it,  and,  when  death  came,  a  few  handful s  of  sand  were 
thrown  over  the  corpse,  and  that  was  all  the  burial  it 
received.  Practically  no  distinction  was  made  between  the 
dying  and  the  dead ! 


69 


CHAPTER  V 

A    LADY''s    adventures    in    MEXICO 

Mexico  one  of  the  mountaiuous  countries — Madame  Calderon  de  la 
Barca,  a  charming  lady  writer  —  Travels  for  two  years  in 
Mexico  —  Execrable  roads — Spirited  animals  —  Severity  and 
frequency  of  the  thunderstorms  —  A  carriage  in  a  swollen 
mountain  torrent — A  fearful  moment — Country  infested  with 
desperate  robbers — A  grinning  skull — "  The  horses  climbed  up 
one  crag  and  slid  down  another  " — A  zorillo  hunt — Apparently 
bullet-proof — A  wolf  at  the  ladies'  side — Tlie  hot  springs  of 
Cuiucho — The  ladies  lost — Escort  of  cavalry  appears — Bivouac 
in  an  outhouse  —  Mosquitoes — An  active  night  among  the 
robbei's  —  The  leader  of  the  gang  caught  —  A  disagreeable 
addition  to  a  travelling  party — A  typical  brigand  chief — His 
looli  scares  Madame — Another  night  in  a  barn — Nest  of  scor- 
pions discovered  in  the  morning  ! — The  famous  volcano  Jorullo 
— Its  first  eruption  in  1759 — Another  visit  to  the  hot  springs — 
Lost  in  the  darkness  once  more — "  Three  hundred  demons  " 
in  an  Indian  settlement — A  late  hour  for  ladies  exposed  to 
mountain  perils  and  mountain  brigands. 

One  of  the  mountainous  countries  of  the  world  is  certainly 
Mexico.  Turn  in  almost  any  direction  you  will,  there  you 
have,  either  close  at  hand  or  not  so  very  far  away,  at  least 
considerable  hills,  and  generally  veritable  mountains.  The 
great  backbone  of  North  America,  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
runs  from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other,  a  succession 
of  lofty  peaks,  frowning  precipices,  wild  torrents,  with 
more  than  one  volcano  of  name  and  fame.     An  extended 

60 


MEXICAN  STORMS 

tour,  or  a  series  of  tours,  in  Mexico,  therefore,  especially 
sixty  or  eighty  years  ago,  could  not  fail  to  bring  to  the 
tourist  many  curious  and  some  exciting  adventures,  even 
though  that  tourist  happened  to  be  of  the  sex  that  is 
commonly  supposed  to  be  less  adventurous. 

Madame  Calderon  de  la  Barca,  a  lady  of  note  in  her 
day,  and  a  friend  of  Prescott,  the  famous  historian  of 
Mexico,  went  to  that  country  in  the  year  1839,  and  made 
a  considerable  sojourn  there.  Though  most  of  her  time 
was  spent  in  the  capital  amongst  the  fashionables  and 
notables  of  Mexico,  yet  on  several  occasions  she  joined  in 
extensive  expeditions  into  the  heart  of  the  country,  more 
especially  amongst  the  mountain  districts.  The  travelling 
was  not  always  easy.  Often,  indeed,  the  roads  were 
execrable,  while  sometimes  the  accommodation  to  be  had 
was  of  the  poorest  kind.  The  animals  available  for  riding 
were  not  always  desirable  mounts ;  they  were,  in  truth, 
very  often  but  half-broken  horses  and  mules.  Thus  we 
read  of  a  beautiful  animal  she  rode,  dashing  away  uith 
her  among  the  hills,  and  it  was  only  by  her  own  coolness 
that  she  kept  her  seat  and  saved  herself  from  serious 
injury.  Some  of  the  other  ladies  of  the  cavalcade  fared 
not  much  better,  the  mules  they  rode  crushing  their  feet 
against  the  trees  or  throwing  their  riders  over  their  heads 
in  a  fit  of  obstinacy. 

To  be  caught  in  a  thunderstorm  was  a  very  common 
experience,  and  a  thunderstorm  is  no  laughing  matter  in 
Mexico.  As  Madame  de  la  Barca  says  :  "  When  it  rains 
here  the  windows  of  heaven  seem  opened,  and  the  clouds 
pour  down  water  in  floods  ;  the  lightning,  also,  appears  to 
me  particularly   vivid,   and   many   more  accidents  occur 

61 


A  FEARFUL  MOMENT 

from  it  here  than  in  the  north.  We  were  drenched  in 
five  minutes,  and  in  this  plight  resumed  our  seats  in  our 
carriage  and  set  off  for  Guasco,  a  village  where  we  were  to 
pass  the  night,  in  a  pelting  storm.  In  an  hour  or  two 
the  horses  were  wading  up  to  their  knees  in  water.""  In 
such  a  state  did  the  travellers  reach  the  village,  only  to 
find  that  there  was  no  public  accommodation  or  shelter 
whatever  to  be  had. 

They  were  traversing  magnificent  mountain  districts 
in  a  visit  to  some  of  the  mines,  and  in  fine  weather  the 
trip  was  delightful.  But  over  and  over  again  the  thunder- 
storms came  on.  It  was  perilous  travelling  when  the 
lightning  flashed  among  the  trees,  and  the  wind  howled 
furiously  ;  when  the  way  lay  along  the  edge  of  frightful 
precipices,  down  steep  and  rocky  declivities,  across  raging 
mountain  torrents.  But  for  the  skill  and  carefulness 
shown  by  the  drivers,  the  danger  would  have  been  still 
greater.  It  was  the  day  following  such  a  storm  when  the 
party  left  Tepenacasco  for  another  stage  of  their  journey. 
The  torrents  were  swollen  in  a  very  dangerous  fashion, 
and  there  were  many  stories  of  animals,  vehicles,  and  the 
men  with  them  being  swept  away  to  their  destruction. 
Suddenly  the  storm  came  up  again,  and  the  day  became 
quite  dark.  In  this  state  of  things  the  carriage  stuck  fast 
in  a  rushing  stream,  and  was  instantly  filled  with  water. 
"  It  was  a  moment  of  mortal  fear  such  as  I  shall  never 
forget.  The  shrieks  of  the  drivers  to  encourage  the 
horses,  the  loud  cries  of  A  ve  Maria !  the  uncertainty  as  to 
whether  our  heavy  carriage  could  be  dragged  across,  the 
horses  struggling  and  splashing  in  the  boiling  torrent,  and 
the  honible  fate  that  awaited  us  should  one  of  them  fall 

62 


TRACES  OF  ROBBERS 

or  falter !  The  Senora  and  I  shut  our  eyes  and  held  each 
other's  hands,  and  certainly  no  one  breathed  till  we  were 
safe  on  the  other  side.  We  were  then  told  that  we  had 
crossed  within  a  few  feet  of  a  precipice  over  which  a  coach 
had  been  dashed  into  fifty  pieces  during  one  of  these 
swells,  and,  of  course,  every  one  killed,  and  that  if,  instead 
of  horses,  we  had  travelled  with  mules  we  must  have  been 
lost." 

Many  parts  of  the  mountains  were  infested  with  robbers, 
often  desperate  and  reckless  fellows.  The  severest  punish- 
ment was  dealt  out  to  such  of  these  gentry  as  were  caught, 
but  the  warnings  were  little  heeded  by  the  rest.  In  the 
defiles  beyond  the  city  of  Toluca,  Madame  Barca's  party 
travelled  with  no  little  trepidation,  for  at  any  moment 
they  might  be  attacked.  An  object  of  horror  which  they 
passed  in  one  gloomy  glen  did  not  help  to  reassure  them. 
Nailed  to  a  pine-tree  was  a  blackened  and  grinning  skull. 
It  was  that  of  a  celebrated  robber  who  had  for  forty  years 
been  the  terror  of  those  mountain  solitudes.  Caught  at 
last,  he  had  been  executed,  and  then  fastened  to  the  very 
tree  under  which  he  had  committed  his  last  murder.  Yet, 
only  just  before  this  visit  of  Madame  to  the  spot,  some 
unfortunate  wayfarers  had  been  plundered,  exactly  beneath 
the  ghastly  skull.  Madame  was  fated  to  see  more  than 
she  liked  of  the  robber  gang  before  long. 

A  few  leagues  beyond  the  defile  of  the  grinning  skull 
the  country  became  difficult,  even  more  than  any  they  had 
before  passed  through.  It  was  one  succession  of  deep 
ravines.  The  horses  climbed  up  one  crag  and  slid  down 
another.  At  the  bottom  of  each  defile  brawled  a  rushing 
torrent,  the  crossing  of  which  sometimes  involved  danger. 

63 


DESOLATE  COUNTRY 

Not  a  bite  for  man  or  beast  was  to  be  had.  There  were 
no  trees  and  no  grass ;  even  Nebuchadnezzar,  Madame 
whimsically  says,  would  have  found  himself  at  a  nonplus. 
Not  a  village  was  met  with,  not  even  a  solitary  house. 
The  mules  were  weary,  and  could  only  be  kept  going  by 
the  wild  choruses  the  drivers  joined  in  perpetually.  If 
they  inquired  of  a  chance  passer-by  they  encountered,  the 
men  were  always  told  that  the  village  was  "  behind  the 
next  hill." 

As  there  were  gentlemen  accompanying  this  cross- 
country expedition,  it  may  well  be  supposed  that  they 
were  now  and  then  on  the  look-out  for  a  little  sport.  A 
zorillo,  or  mouJf'eteSi  as  the  naturalist  BufFon  calls  the 
animal,  crossing  the  path  of  the  party  one  cold  morning, 
put  all  the  men  on  the  qui  vive.  The  zorillo  somewhat 
resembles  a  brown  and  white  fox,  with  an  enormous  tail 
sticking  up  into  the  air  like  a  flag ;  his  smell  is  dreadful, 
the  lady  tells  us.  Pell-mell  after  the  beast  rushed  the 
men,  some  on  foot,  others  on  horseback  ;  some  carrying  guns 
or  pistols,  some  with  little  in  the  way  of  weapons  save  sharp 
knives.  The  zorillo  led  the  hunters  a  rare  chase,  uphill, 
downhill,  over  torrent,  doubling,  winding,  feigning  death 
occasionally.  But  the  brute  appeared  to  have  a  charmed 
life ;  it  seemed  bullet-proof.  At  last  it  was  wounded  in 
the  paw,  and  stopped  as  if  done  for.  The  pursuers,  in 
high  glee,  rushed  forward  to  seize  their  prey,  sure  of 
getting  it ;  but,  to  their  mortification,  the  animal  slipped 
them  among  the  long  grass,  above  which  his  tail  showed 
conspicuously,  as  if  in  mockery,  and  he  was  lost  in  the 
fog. 

While  the  men  plied  their  sport,  the  ladies  had  their 

64 


THE  HOT  SPRINGS  OF  CUINCHO 

excitement,  as  they  stood  at  some  distance.  An  immense 
wolf  loomed  out  of  the  mist,  and  trotted  close  up  to  the 
ladies.  Needless  to  say,  they  set  up  a  loud  scream,  with 
one  accord  calling  on  the  gentlemen  for  help.  The  cry 
was  too  much  for  the  wolf,  luckily,  for  he  went  oft"  with  a 
rush. 

A  visit  to  the  hot  springs  of  Cuincho,  amidst  wild  and 
striking  scenery,  brought  an  adventure  of  a  different  kind. 
The  ladies  were  left  to  enjoy  their  bath,  the  mules  to  be 
brought  for  them  at  a  later  hour.  The  bath  proved 
delicious,  the  water  being  at  almost  exactly  the  same 
temperature  as  the  body.  The  bathers  wei-e  very  loth 
to  come  out  of  the  spring,  but  as  they  had  nine  leagues  to 
travel  before  nightfall,  to  the  town  of  Pascuaro,  they  were 
compelled  at  last  to  do  so.  To  their  surpnse  the  mules 
had  not  arrived,  and  to  while  away  the  time  of  waiting  the 
ladies  strolled  among  the  hills  in  the  neighbourhood. 
It  began  to  grow  dusk ;  the  ladies  were  both  alarmed  and 
hungry,  but  still  no  sign  of  the  nniles.  Just  as  it  became 
dark,  however,  there  arrived  an  escort  of  twenty-three 
lancers,  with  a  Captain  at  their  head ;  they  had  been  sent 
by  the  Governor,  to  accompany  the  travellers  on  the 
remainder  of  their  journey.  It  was  too  late  to  travel  any 
more  that  day,  in  a  trackless  and  mountainous  country, 
and  the  best  had  to  be  made  of  the  situation.  The 
Captain  and  others  of  the  men  caught  a  tough  old  hen  and 
put  it  into  a  pot  to  boil  for  the  ladies.  Then  a  little  clean 
straw  on  the  floor  of  an  outhouse  furnished  a  bed  for  the 
high-born  dames.  The  cold,  the  mosquitoes  and  other 
animals,  prevented  anything  like  sound  sleeping,  however. 
They  were  very  eager  to  kick  off*  the  straw  in  the  early 

65  £ 


UNPLEASANT  COMPANY 

morning,  and  get  on  their  way  again,  escorted  by  the 
lancers.  On  the  road  they  learnt  strange  things  from  the 
peasantry.  That  night,  it  appeared,  had  been  a  most 
active  one  with  the  robbers.  Two  mules  had  been  carried 
oft'  with  their  cargoes,  the  drivers  being  left  tied  to  trees ; 
in  another  case  a  woman  had  been  robbed,  and  bound  hand 
and  foot.  The  ladies  began  to  have  many  misgivings  as  to 
the  fate  of  their  own  mules  and  their  drivers.  Presently 
they  came  up  with  the  missing  party,  who,  having  lost 
themselves  on  the  previous  evening,  had  stayed  for  the 
night  at  a  little  settlement  in  a  valley.  It  was  abundantly 
clear  that  they  had  only  just  missed  falling  into  the  hands 
of  the  robbers. 

The  united  party,  still  under  the  protection  of  the 
lancers,  received  an  awkward  and  a  disagreeable  addition  to 
their  numbers,  at  Pascuaro,  namely,  a  couple  of  notorious 
mountain  robbers,  who,  fast  bound,  were  given  into  the 
custody  of  the  lancers  to  be  taken  to  Uruapa,  for  execution. 
One  of  these  was  Morales,  whose  lawless  and  ferocious  deeds 
had  long  been  the  terror  of  the  country.  This  fellow's  last 
crime  had  been  so  horribly  atrocious  that  even  the  Indians, 
who  all  along  had  refrained  from  betraying  him,  had 
grown  disgusted.  They  had  suddenly  seized  Morales  and 
one  of  his  men,  and  had  carried  them  to  the  authorities  at 
Pascuaro.  A  speedy  trial  had  resulted  in  the  death 
sentence  for  the  two,  and  now  a  favourable  oppor- 
tunity of  sending  them  on  to  the  place  of  execution, 
Uruapa,  had  come.  So  Madame  de  la  Barca  and  her  com- 
panions had  to  put  up  with  unpleasant  company  for  a 
time. 

The  robber  leader  was  a  typical  brigand  chief.     Says 

66 


A  TYPICAL  BRIGAND  CHIEF 

the  lady, "  he  was  equal  to  any  of  Salvator's  brigands,  in  his 
wild  and  striking  figure  and  countenance.  He  wore  a 
dark-coloured  blanket,  and  a  black  hat,  the  broad  leaf  of 
which  was  slouched  over  his  face,  which  was  the  colour  of 
death,  while  his  eyes  seemed  to  belong  to  a  tiger  or  other 
beast  of  prey  !"  For  years  this  fellow  had  been  the  captain 
of  a  baud  of  nearly  a  hundred  mountain  robbers,  the 
terror  not  only  of  all  travellers  and  villagers  in  the  district, 
but  also  even  of  the  camps  of  Indians  themselves.  The 
amount  of  plunder  taken  by  this  gang  reached  a  prodigious 
figure  altogether,  whilst  the  most  horrible  crimes  of  other 
kinds  had  been  committed,  the  barbarities  often  being  too 
shocking  to  relate.  It  was  this  lawless  band  that  Madame 
and  her  friends  had  providentially  escaped,  through  the 
accident  which  had  detained  them  for  the  night  at  the  hot 
springs.  Now  the  rascals  had  lost  their  leader  for  ever. 
No  wonder  the  lady  says  she  never  saw  such  a  picture  of 
fierce  misery  as  Morales.  His  companion  was  a  miserable 
tattered  wretch,  his  face  livid  with  fear. 

Across  the  wildest  of  wild  countries  the  cavalcade  made 
its  way,  through  dark  woods,  down  almost  perpendicular 
precipices,  over  dashing  river  and  swollen  torrent,  along 
mountain  flank,  and  down  into  deep  ravine.  Madame  de 
la  Barca  could  not  take  her  eyes  from  the  wretches  whom 
every  step  brought  nearer  the  place  of  execution.  The 
two  were  chained  together  by  the  leg,  and  marched  on 
foot,  under  the  guard  of  five  of  the  soldiers  told  off  for  the 
purpose.  More  than  once  she  caught  the  eye  of  Morales, 
and  she  knew  that,  even  in  that  desperate  situation,  he  was 
ever  watching  for  some  opportunity  of  making  at  least  a 
mad  dash  for  liberty.     Once,  indeed,  she  suddenly  saw  his 

67 


NIGHT  IN  A  BARN 

face  ar^snme  such  a  look,  his  eye  "  glaring  with  such  a 
frightful  expression  that,  forgetful  of  Jiis  chains,  I  whipped 
up  my  horse,  in  the  greatest  consternation,  over  stones  and 
rocks.""  The  place  and  the  look  in  the  eye  of  the  brigand 
were  in  perfect  unison.  The  whole  scene  was  "  horribly 
beautiful."  The  defile  was  deep  and  dark,  with  a  pro- 
digious amount  of  vegetation,  which,  however,  with  all  its 
profusion,  was  unable  wholly  to  conceal  the  fearful  crags 
and  precipices  met  with  in  every  direction. 

It  was  found  impossible  to  reach  Uruapa  that  day,  and 
a  halt  for  the  night  had  to  be  made  at  a  wretched  Indian 
settlement  on  the  way.  Nothing  better  than  an  old  barn 
offered  itself  as  a  shelter  for  the  ladies.  It  was  not  exactly 
a  pleasant  lodging,  for  the  barn  was  built  of  rough  logs, 
with  innumerable  chinks  and  holes  by  which  the  keen 
mountain  air  could  enter.  Outside  was  a  drove  of  pigs, 
who  were  constantly  thrusting  their  snouts  through  the 
interstices  between  the  logs,  keeping  up  a  loud  if  not 
harmonious  grunting  and  squeaking  the  while.  In  this 
miserable  hole  the  ladies  had  to  dispose  themselves  to 
sleep  as  best  they  might.  The  soldiers  made  a  fire  outside, 
but  quite  near  the  barn,  and  sat  round  it.  Madame  could 
not  help  peeping  through  the  cracks  at  the  face  of  the 
robber,  Morales,  who,  with  his  companion  in  chains,  sat 
with  the  soldiers.  The  countenances  of  the  two  haunted 
the  lady  through  the  night.  But  that  was  not  all.  In 
addition  to  the  giamting  of  the  pigs,  the  singing  of  the 
mosquitoes  presently  began,  while  the  piercing  blasts  blew 
in  at  every  chink.  The  party  were  up  betimes,  it  needs 
not  to  say.  \Vhat  was  their  horror  when  they  found 
under  what  conditions  they  had  slept!    Above  their  heads, 

68 


THE  VOLCANO  JORULLO 

in  a  crack  between  the  logs  of  the  barn,  a  whole  nest  of 
scorpions  was  discovered,  their  tails  twisted  together ! 
"  Imagine  the  condition  of  the  unfortunate  slumberer," 
cries  Madame,  "  on  whose  devoted  head  they  had  descended 
en  masse  /"" 

A  magnificent  view  of  the  volcano  Jorullo  was  obtained 
from  many  of  the  points  of  vantage  along  the  route  pui'- 
sued,  and  our  travellers  were  eager  to  pay  a  visit  to  that 
romantic  and  notorious  peak.  But  the  road  was  described 
as  being  impracticable,  and,  moreover,  as  being  without 
shade,  so  that  the  journey  thither  would  be  insupportably 
hot,  and  the  ladies  were  compelled  to  abandon  all  hope  of 
reaching  the  spot.  They  learnt  a  good  deal  of  the  volcano, 
however,  which  as  yet  was  less  than  a  century  old.  Its 
birth  took  place  in  the  year  1759,  being  heralded  by 
earthquakes  for  three  months  previously.  Then,  suddenly, 
the  ground  heaved,  and  "  a  terrible  eruption  burst  forth, 
which  filled  all  the  inhabitants  with  astonishment  and 
terror,  and  which  Humboldt  considers  one  of  the  most 
extraordinary  physical  revolutions  that  ever  took  place  on 
the  surface  of  the  globe.  Flames  issued  from  the  earth  for 
a  space  of  more  than  a  square  league.  Masses  of  burning 
rock  were  thrown  to  an  immense  height,  and  through  a 
thick  cloud  of  ashes,  illuminated  by  the  volcanic  fire,  the 
whitened  crust  of  the  earth  was  seen  gradually  swelling  up. 
The  ashes  even  covered  the  roofs  of  the  houses  at  forty-eight 
leagues  distance,  and  the  rivers  of  San  Andres  and  Cui- 
tumba  sank  into  the  burning  masses.  The  flames  were  seen 
at  Pascuaro ;  and  from  the  hills  of  Agua-Zarca  was  beheld 
the  birth  of  this  volcanic  mountain,  the  burning  offspring 
of  an  earthquake,  which,  bursting  from  the  bosom  of  the 

69 


LOST  IN  THE  DARKNESS 

earth,  changed  the  whole  face  of  the  country  for  a  con- 
siderable distance  round," 

On  their  way  back  to  Mexico  the  ladies  could  not  resist 
the  temptation  to  bathe  once  more  in  the  hot  springs  of 
Cuincho,  taking  care  this  time  to  retain  their  mounts  and 
servants  in  the  neighbourhood.  Yet  even  now  they  had 
some  small  adventures.  They  stayed  in  the  water  so  late 
that  it  was  dark  before  they  could  reach  Morelia,  for  which 
place  they  were  bound.  The  fear  of  meeting  robbers  was 
less  than  it  had  been  while  Morales  still  remained  Captain 
of  the  brigands.  But  "  the  horses,  being  unable  to  see, 
took  enormous  leaps  over  every  streamlet  and  ditch,  so 
that  we  seemed  to  be  riding  a  steeplechase  in  the  dark. 
Our  gowns  caught  upon  the  thorny  bushes,  and  our 
journey  might  have  been  traced  by  the  tatters  we  left 
behind  us.  At  length  we  rode  the  wrong  way,  up  a  stony 
hill,  which  led  us  to  a  wretched  little  village  of  about 
thirty  huts,  each  hut  having  ten  dogs  on  an  average,  ac- 
cording to  the  laudable  custom  of  the  Indians.  Out  they 
all  rushed  simultaneously,  yelping  like  three  hundred 
demons,  biting  the  horses''  feet,  and  springing  round  us. 
Between  this  canine  concert,  the  kicking  of  the  horses,  the 
roar  of  a  waterfall  close  beside  us,  the  shouting  of  the 
people  telling  us  to  come  back,  and  the  pitch  darkness,  I 
thought  we  should  all  have  gone  distracted.  \Ye  did, 
however,  make  our  way  out  from  among  the  dogs,  re- 
descended  the  stony  hill,  the  horses  leaping  over  various 
streamlets  that  crossed  their  path,  turned  into  the  right 
road,  and  entered  the  gates  of  Morelia,  without  further 
adventure,  between  nine  and  ten  o''clock.'"  A  late  hour 
for  ladies  to  be  out  amongst  wild  mountains,  and  at  the 

70 


LOST  IN  THE  DARKNESS 

mercy  of  the  robbers  that  might  be  left,  for  the  escort  of 
soldiers  was  not  now  at  hand.  But  Madame  de  la  Barca 
was  not  only  a  charming  writer — that  is  seen  in  a  moment 
from  a  peep  into  her  letters — she  was  also  a  plucky  and 
adventurous  lady. 


71 


CHAPTER  VI 

ALBANIAN   MOUNTAINEERS 

Western  side  of  Turkish  peninsula  not  well  known  —  Mr.  E. 
Spencer,  an  English  traveller — The  defiles  of  the  Driu — A 
world  split  into  shivers — Dangerous  bridges  and  blindfolded 
horses — The  guide  Stefa — A  mountain  inn — Crowded  with 
armed  rebels  —  Angry  scowls  —  A  judicious  present — ''His 
Serene  Highness  the  Ingleski  Bey'' — Peace  and  friendship — 
A  break-neck  ride — An  appalling  hurricane — Berat,  on  the 
summit  of  a  rock — In  the  company  of  a  troop  of  Albanian 
insurgents — A  terribly  difficult  country — Berat  in  a  panic — 
Preparing  to  withstand  tlie  attack  of  the  rebels — Spencer  on 
the  road  to  Avlona — A  miserable  uiglit  above  a  wild  torrent — 
All  the  mountain  passes  seized  by  the  rebels — Terrified  flight 
of  officials  and  citizens  from  Avlona — Approach  of  rebels — 
Soldiers  prepare  to  defend  a  little  hamlet — Two  rusty  cannon 
— Spencer  in  a  hayloft,  to  watch  the  fight — A  useless  parley — 
Cannon  brought  to  bear — One  bursts,  the  other  will  not  ignite 
— All  up  with  the  soldiers — They  chum  witli  the  rebels — 
Departure  of  the  whole  to  Avlona — The  risks  of  the  ''Ladder" 
— A  bad  snake  bite — Tlie  Englishman  as  surgeon — Fording  the 
Scharkos — Spencer  pulled  oif  his  horse  by  a  frightened  Jew — 
Four  men  in  the  boiling  torrent— Gallant  rescue  of  a  Bey  by 
Spencer — UTie  use  of  a  lock  of  long  hair — An  attack  by  water- 
fowl— An  extraordinary  adventure. 

The  western  side  of  the  Turkish  peninsula  is  a  district  of 
mountain  and  stream,  of  towering  precipices  intersected 
by  fertile  valleys,  inhabited  by  picturesque  and  often  law- 
less and  turbulent  peoples.     In  this  country,  chiefly  in  the 

72 


AN  UNEXPLORED  DISTRICT 

classic  Albania,  wandered  Mr.  E.  Spencer  between  the 
years  1845  and  1850,  meeting  with  many  adventures,  such 
as  would  be  sure  to  befall  so  enterprising  and  daring  a 
traveller  in  such  a  land.  Even  in  our  own  day,  the  district 
is  not  well  known  to  the  rest  of  Europe,  but  in  those 
earlier  Victorian  times  the  collections  of  small  states  and 
their  half-wild  folk  were  almost  as  great  a  mystery  to  the 
majority  of  civilized  people  as  the  interior  of  Africa  itself. 
There  were  no  roads,  and  the  country  was  an  uncom- 
promisingly difficult  one  to  traverse ;  there  were  few 
guardians  of  the  law  ;  and  there  were  brigands  in  plenty. 

Mr.  Spencer  left  the  defile  of  the  Drin,  in  the  course  of 
his  cross-country  journeyings,  and  began  to  ascend  the 
opposing  mountain.  The  ascent  was  very  steep,  and  the 
only  way  up  was  through  a  cleft  in  the  rocks,  a  torrent 
running  down  it  in  the  rainy  seasons.  It  was  ticklish  work 
to  steady  the  horses  in  their  progress  up  this  rocky  trough. 
Grand  oaks  overhung  the  track,  but,  in  the  absence  of 
roads,  the  timber  was  useless  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
country.  The  mountains  were  broken  up  in  an  extra- 
ordinary way  by  deep  clefts  and  wild  gorges,  as  if  an 
earthquake  had  split  the  world  into  shivers.  Often, 
indeed  generally,  the  only  way  of  crossing  was  by  frail 
wooden  bridges,  from  the  planks  of  which  the  eye  looked 
down  in  alarm  on  an  "  abyss  beneath  frightful  to  behold. 
To  cross  one  of  these,  without  any  railing  or  support, 
required  no  little  nerve ;  yet,  if  we  could  divest  ourselves 
of  the  fear,  so  natural  to  man,  knowing  that  the  slightest 
false  step  hurls  him  to  destruction,"  there  is,  in  reality,  no 
more  danger  to  be  dreaded  than  if  the  bridge  crossed  a 
mere  rivulet.     The  traveller,  however,  goes  on  to  tell  us 

73 


A  MOUNTAIN  INN 

that  not  one  of  his  horses  would  cross  such  a  bridge 
unless  he  were  first  blindfolded,  and  then  led  across  by  a 
man  he  knew  well. 

The  guide,  Stefa  by  name,  had  a  great  dread  of  spend- 
ing the  night  out  on  the  open  mountain-side,  ever  fearful 
lest  they  should  fall  a  prey  to  bear  or  wolf,  or,  worse  still, 
bandit,  all  of  which  prowled  about  those  rugged  mountain 
lands.  The  Englishman,  on  his  part,  knowing  only  too 
well  the  numbers  and  the  pertinacity  of  the  insect  tribes 
in  the  Turkish  inns,  preferred  to  bivouac  under  the 
open  canopy  of  heaven.  Sometimes  they  fared  worse  by 
going  into  the  haunts  of  men  than  if  they  had  camped  in 
some  lonely  gorge.  One  of  the  mountain  hans^  or  inns, 
they  found  crowded  by  men  armed  at  all  points,  under  the 
command  of  their  rebel  chief,  Julika.  A  single  look  was 
sufficient  for  Stefa,  and,  indeed,  the  angi'y  scowls  of  the 
insurgents  were  enough  to  frighten  a  stouter  heart.  The 
guide's  "ghastly  features  and  trembling  limbs''''  proved 
how  great  was  his  terror  in  the  presence  of  those  wild 
mountaineers.  His  master  hastened  to  put  all  his  valu- 
ables into  the  hands  of  the  innkeeper  for  safe  custody, 
realizing  the  situation  at  once.  He  then  sent  the  shiver- 
ing Stefa  to  the  rebel  crowd  with  a  handsome  present  of 
first-rate  tobacco  and  right  pungent  snuff.  Stefa  pre- 
sented these  with  many  a  respectful  salute,  and  stated 
that  they  came  from  his  master,  "  His  Serene  Highness 
the  Ingleski  Bey."  This  manoeuvre  at  once  brought  the 
Englishman  into  the  good  graces  of  Julika  and  his  men, 
and  the  rebel  chief  himself  hobnobbed  with  the  stranger 
for  the  rest  of  the  evening.  On  parting,  Spencer  gave  his 
new  friend  a  pair  of  pistols,  and  Julika  responded   by 

74 


AN  APPALLING  HURRICANE 

presenting  him  with  a  beautifully-worked  poniard.  It 
was  not  only  as  a  weapon  of  defence  that  this  latter  had 
its  value.  "  Preserve  this  as  a  talisman,"  the  rebel  chief 
enjoined  him,  for  the  sight  of  the  poniard  would  ensure 
peace  and  protection  at  the  hands  of  any  of  Julika's  hardy 
adherents — a  numerous  band,  and  widely  scattered  among 
the  mountains.  The  Englishman  had  come  well  out  of 
what  had  seemed  at  first  a  fatal  trap. 

One  day,  after  "  a  break-neck  ride  of  some  hours  up  a 
pathway  carried  along  the  precipitous  sides  of  a  mountain 
some  thousand  feet  high,"  in  the  midst  of  the  grandest 
scenery,  the  setting  of  the  sun  was  accompanied  by  the 
outburst  of  the  most  violent  storm  the  traveller  had  ever 
seen,  which  frightened  even  the  experienced  dwellers  among 
the  Albanian  mountains.  The  suddenness  of  it  was 
astonishing  and  startling.  In  a  moment  or  two  it  grew 
intensely  dark  ;  the  wind  howled  through  the  trees,  and 
then  burst  into  a  perfect  tornado.  Forked  lightning 
"  flashed  above,  now  around,  and  again  beneath  us,  light- 
ing up  an  unfathomable  abyss,  succeeded  by  peals  of 
thunder  reverberating  from  rock  to  rock,  and  from  moun- 
tain to  mountain,  with  a  deafening  crash,  as  if  Nature,  in 
convulsive  cataclysms,  was  sinking  into  chaos,  while  the 
rain  poured  down  as  if  from  a  waterspout."  With  great 
difficulty,  and  no  little  danger,  the  travellers  struggled  on 
for  a  space,  the  terrific  gusts  almost  sweeping  man  and 
beast  down  the  awful  precipices  below,  till  at  length  they 
were  lucky  enough  to  find  shelter  under  a  big  overhanging 
rock,  where  they  sat  out  the  hurricane  with  what  patience 
they  could. 

When   our  traveller  was  approaching  Berat,  a   place 

75 


BERAT 

of  importance,  standing  picturesquely  on  the  top  of  a  huge 
rock,  and  always  in  command  of  a  Turkish  officer  of  rank, 
the  disturbed  state  of  the  country  so  distressed  and 
alarmed  Stefa,  that  he  refused  to  go  on,  unless  in  the 
company  of  another  body  of  wayfarers.  As  luck  would 
have  it,  up  galloped  a  well-mounted  party  of  Albanian 
insurgents,  and  with  these  the  Englishman  and  his  servants 
went  for  some  distance.  These  fellows  turned  aside  near 
the  town  and  left  Spencer  to  enter  the  place  with  his  men. 
A  curious  sight  met  the  stranger's  eyes.  The  Governor, 
in  preparation  for  a  strong  attack  that  he  had  heard 
the  rebels  were  about  to  make  on  Berat,  had  ordered  the 
citizens  to  bring  all  their  valuables  up  from  the  lower 
town  to  the  citadel.  Men  and  women  were  struggling 
to  pull  huge  trunks  up  the  perpendicular  cliffs  of  rock  by 
the  aid  of  ropes,  the  women  vainly  attempting  to  keep 
their  yashmaks  over  their  faces  the  while.  Fat  and  lazy 
citizens  were  tugging  at  big  burdens,  for  want  of  a 
sufficient  supply  of  porters.  Up  in  the  citadel  itself  there 
was  a  large  and  motley  crowd,  camping  out  in  any  avail- 
able spot,  their  goods  around  them.  The  fear  patent  in 
every  countenance  was  ludicrous  to  the  Englishman,  but  the 
situation  was  alarming  enough  for  the  townsmen.  The 
Governor  had  had  his  score  of  cannon  planted  so  as  to 
command  the  passes  leading  to  the  town,  but  also  so  as  to 
be  unseen  by  any  who  approached.  Stefa  was  frightened 
almost  out  of  his  senses. 

As  it  fell  out,  the  Governor  was  sending  two  hundred 
men  to  occupy  the  road  leading  to  Avlona,  and  with  these 
Spencer  and  his  following  travelled  on.  The  way  lay 
through   the  defiles   of  Mount   Scrapari,  and  there  the 

76 


ON  THE  ROAD  TO  AVLONA 

Englishman  looked  about  him  with  no  little  apprehension. 
Had  the  rebels  appeared  then,  the  Governor's  troops 
might  have  been  annihilated  in  a  few  minutes.  Spencer 
began  to  wish  himself  in  other  company.  The  night  was 
miserably  spent  at  a  wretched  mountain  inn  overhanging  a 
wild  torrent.  In  the  morning  the  reports  ran  that  Julika 
had  secured  every  mountain  pass  in  the  district ;  that  he 
was  on  his  way  with  a  very  large  following  to  seize 
Avlona;  and  that  he  might  be  expected  at  any  moment. 
Stefa,  now  more  than  ever  alarmed,  insisted  on  taking 
himself  and  his  horses  back  to  Berat.  The  Englishman, 
not  to  be  thwarted  in  his  wishes  to  go  on  to  Avlona, 
sprang  suddenly  upon  his  steed  and  galloped  off  in  the 
direction  of  that  town.  The  unfortunate  guide,  tortured 
between  the  fear  of  losing  his  animal  and  his  almost 
greater  dread  of  the  rebels,  was  constrained  to  follow  his 
master.  The  ride  to  Avlona,  enlivened  by  Stefa's  wild 
cries  and  bitter  reproaches,  came  to  an  unexpected  end, 
however. 

"  After  riding  for  about  half  an  hour,  we  met  a  cavalcade 
of  horsemen,  accompanied  by  a  troop  of  the  kavaas 
(police),  galloping  furiously,  as  if  followed  by  a  host  of 
demons.  We  afterwards  learnt  that  this  was  the  Governor 
and  the  principal  officers  of  Avlona,  who,  on  the  first 
intimation  of  danger,  had  left  the  town  to  its  own  resources, 
and  made  their  escape  to  Berat.  They  were  speedily 
followed  by  another  cavalcade  of  the  citizens,  who,  with 
doleful  countenances,  assured  us  that  Avlona  was  already 
in  possession  of  the  insurgents.""  There  was  nothing  for  it 
but  to  go  back  to  the  wretched  inn  and  the  troops,  which 
Spencer  did  with  a  very  bad  grace. 

77 


DEFENCE  OF  BERAT 

After  this  events  marched  rapidly.  The  rebels  were 
seen  to  be  approaching,  and  the  soldiers  planted  their  two 
rusty  cannon,  and  disposed  themselves  to  defend  the  spot. 
Our  Englishman,  a  non-combatant,  was  yet  determined  to 
see  all  he  could.  He  mounted  into  a  hayloft,  removed  a  tile 
or  two,  and  had  the  whole  view  in  front  of  and  below  him. 
A  laughable  scene  followed — Spencer  found  even  the  most 
dangerous  situation  laughable — the  rebels  without,  who 
mustered  in  strong  force  on  the  shelving  sides  of  the 
mountain,  were  not  to  be  drawn  within  reach  of  the  guns, 
and  the  defenders  inside  dared  not  sally  out  upon  the 
enemy.  A  few  ineffective  shots  were  fired  on  both  sides, 
and  thus  the  day  wore  on.  It  was  plain  the  rebels  were 
only  waiting  till  darkness  to  cross  the  torrent  and  fall  on 
the  camp,  and  the  panic-stricken  defenders  saw  this,  and 
sent  men  to  parley  v/ith  the  foe.  Nothing  came  of  the 
conference,  and  the  commander  of  the  troops  prepared  to 
take  decisive  measures,  dragging  out  his  two  rusty  cannon. 

"  These  dreadful  implements  of  war  were  quickly  har- 
nessed, and,  with  lighted  matches,  the  tacticoes  (soldiers) 
commenced  their  march,  when  lo  !  a  party  of  well-mounted 
cavaliers,  who  seemed  to  rise  out  of  the  hills,  bore  down 
upon  them  with  a  horrible  yell.  The  cannon  were  brought 
to  bear  upon  them,  but,  alas !  one  burst  and  the  other 
would  not  ignite !  All  was  now  over  with  the  tacticoes, 
and,  to  save  their  lives,  they  fraternized  with  the  rebels, 
allowing  their  officers  to  be  made  prisoners.  The  victorious 
party,  with  shouts  of  triumph,  firing  of  guns,  and  brandish- 
ing of  weapons,  now  poured  into  the  village,  where  they 
remained  a  short  time  refreshing  themselves,  and  then, 
reinforced    by   two   hundred   muskets   and   ammunition, 

78 


Awkward  Allies 

One  of  the  cannon  refused  to  ignite  and  another  exploded,  leaving  the  soldiers 
at  the  mercy  of  the  enemy. 


ASCENT  OF  THE  LADDER 

continued  their  march  to  Avlona."  Mr.  Spencer  in  his 
hayloft,  and  Stefa,  probably  well  hidden  somewhere  else, 
were  thus  suddenly  relieved  from  all  fears  of  a  violent 
death,  which  had  seemed  to  await  them  in  the  earlier  part 
of  the  day.  The  Englishman,  for  all  his  light-heartedness, 
was  very  thankful,  and  confessed  that  he  had  had  a  narrow 
escape. 

At  a  later  stage  of  his  travels  the  "  Ingleski  Bey  "  was 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Mount  Ergenik,  where  a  certain 
terrible  ascent  was  well  called  by  the  natives  the  Scela,  or 
ladder.  It  was  a  frightful  place,  especially  at  one  spot 
where  a  sudden  bend  gave  a  sight  of  the  river  roaring  far, 
far  below.  A  jutting  crag  a  little  farther  on  seemed  to 
put  an  end  to  the  passage  altogether,  but,  by  edging 
cautiously  along  a  narrow  ledge  which  they  found,  the  party 
managed  to  round  the  obstruction.  Their  troubles  were 
not  yet  over,  for  a  huge  mountain  mass  next  appeared, 
right  in  front,  seeming  to  preclude  all  further  progress. 
But  a  narrow  cleft  was  spied  in  the  rocks,  wet  and  slippery 
with  the  spray  from  a  racing  little  torrent,  and  up  this 
the  horses  had  to  struggle.  Fortunately,  no  slip  occurred, 
or  it  would  have  been  certain  death  for  both  animal  and 
rider. 

Travellers  in  out-of-the-way  places  have  often  to  act  as 
surgeons,  and  Mr.  Spencer  was  no  exception.  Camping 
one  evening  in  some  ruins,  which  they  found  in  a  wild 
spot,  no  inn  being  available,  the  men  neglected  to  make  a 
fire — a  mistake  in  such  a  place.  One  of  them,  a  Jew, 
spreading  his  carpet  on  the  ground,  was  badly  poisoned  by 
a  snake,  such  as  are  often  found  about  old  ruined  buildings. 
The  wound  was  evidently  a  very  dangerous  one,  and  the 

79 


A  BAD  SNAKE-BITE 

Jew's  case  seemed  desperate.  But  the  Englishman  was 
fortunate  enough  to  have  attended  lectures  by  the  great 
surgeon,  Sir  Astley  Cooper,  and  at  once  applied  his  know- 
ledge. Bandaging  the  damaged  finger  tight  above  the 
wound  to  prevent  the  poison  from  being  carried  by  the 
blood  into  the  system,  he  anointed  it  with  sweet  oil, 
dosing  the  patient  at  the  same  time  with  the  spirit  known 
as  rak'i.  A  plaster  of  salt  and  gunpowder  completed  the 
cure,  to  the  intense  delight  of  everybody. 

But  this  Jew  would  seem  to  have  been  a  most  unlucky 
person.  It  was  necessary  to  ford  the  Scharkos,  a  rapid 
and  dangerous  torrent,  full  of  holes  and  rocks.  In  order 
to  keep  their  legs  from  getting  wet,  the  men  all  crossed 
them  on  their  saddles,  while  the  horses  struggled  over. 
As  ill-luck  would  have  it,  the  Jew  was  perched  high, 
having  a  good  deal  of  merchandise  beneath  him ;  conse- 
quently, when  the  passage  was  in  progress,  he  swayed 
about  a  good  deal.  At  last,  full  in  mid-stream,  he  sud- 
denly clutched  the  Englishman  to  keep  himself  from 
fallinff.  In  a  moment  both  the  men  were  thrown  headlong; 
into  the  turbulent  stream,  the  Jew  yelling  lustily.  The 
noise  and  the  splash  startled  two  of  the  other  horses,  and 
in  an  instant  their  riders,  also,  were  struggling  in  the 
water.  One  of  these,  Hadji,  was  carried  off  his  feet  and 
borne  rapidly  down  the  torrent.  He  was  only  saved  by 
the  gallantry  of  a  fellow-servant,  Pietro  by  name.  The 
other  unfortunate  was  a  Bey,  and  he  was  so  heavily 
encumbered  with  his  load  of  weapons — gun,  sabre,  pistols, 
and  the  like — that  he  was  in  bad  case. 

The  Englishman,  after  coming  to  the  surface,  gazed 
eagerly  around  to  see  how  his  brethren  fared.     He  grasped 

80 


FORDING  THE  SCHARKOS 

the  situation  at  once.  Telling  the  Jew  to  hang  on  to  his 
horse's  tail  and  he  would  be  dragged  in  safety  to  the  other 
bank,  he  went  to  the  help  of  the  Bey.  "  Lo  !""  he  says, 
"all  I  beheld  was  a  long  lock  of  hair  floating  on  the 
surface  of  the  water.  This  revealed  to  me  the  danger  of 
the  unfortunate  Bey,  who  had  fallen  into  a  hole  and  was 
struggling  for  life.  To  seize  his  hair  and  roll  it  tightly 
round  my  arm  was  the  work  of  an  instant,  and  thus, 
drawing  him  after  me,  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  conveying 
my  half-drowned  companion  to  dry  land."  Many  jokes 
did  the  Englishman  make  on  the  usefulness  of  the  lock  of 
long  hair  which  the  Prophet  had  enjoined  all  his  faithful 
to  wear.  But  as  for  the  Jew,  the  rest  of  the  party  would 
not  have  him  at  any  price.  They  regarded  him  as  the 
cause  of  all  their  mishaps,  and  refused  point-blank  to 
travel  further  with  him.  So  Ben  Isaac  had  to  go  on  his 
way  alone. 

A  very  singular  adventure  befell  Spencer  and  his  man  at 
another  place.  There  was  a  vast  hollow  among  the 
mountains,  which  was  filled  with  a  huge  bog.  The  bog 
was  tenanted  by  incredible  numbers  of  aquatic  birds  of 
every  kind.  The  report  of  the  gun  fired  at  one  of  these 
birds  brought  about  a  tremendous  commotion  among  the 
feathered  occupants  of  the  marsh.  The  sound  of  the  gun 
reverberated  far  and  wide  among  the  mountains,  and 
instantly  the  air  was  darkened  by  dense  clouds  of  birds. 
Then,  strange  to  relate,  great  masses  of  these  bore  down 
upon  the  intruders  with  the  utmost  determination  and 
anger.  The  din  was  deafening,  and,  seeing  the  hostile 
intent  of  the  birds,  Hadji,  the  servant,  became  terribly 
alarmed.      He    thought   his   last   hour  had   come,   and, 

81  V 


ATTACK  BY  WATERFOWL 

muttering  a  hasty  prayer,  with  a  doleful  "  Amaan ! 
amaan  !"  he  threw  himself  under  his  horse's  belly  for  pro- 
tection against  the  attacks  of  the  winged  thousands.  Mr. 
Spencer  took  a  more  practical  view  of  the  situation  and 
fired  again,  dispersing  the  enemy.  But  only  for  a  few 
moments.  With  the  keenest  zest  the  birds  returned 
again  and  again  to  the  attack,  till  at  last,  as  the  traveller 
whimsically  says,  "  I  had  expended  as  much  powder  as 
would  have  sufficed  to  storm  a  Turkish  garrison.'"  But 
the  fowls  were  strangely  persistent,  and  never  left  the  men 
a  minute's  peace  till  they  had  seen  them  fairly  off  the 
premises. 

Spencer  notes  two  good  things  that  came  out  of  this 
strange  attack  :  First,  the  tremendous  flapping  of  wings 
removed  all  the  steamy  heat  from  the  valley,  making  the 
air  deliciously  cool ;  and  next,  the  expenditure  of  gun- 
powder resulted  in  such  a  stench  that  it  drove  away 
entirely  the  hordes  of  mosquitoes  which  had  before  made 
the  place  intolerable.  Hadji'^s  profound  thankfulness 
caused  his  master  much  amusement.  It  is  quite  possible, 
however,  that  the  two  men,  had  they  been  without 
weapons  of  any  kind,  might  have  fared  badly  among  such 
myriads  of  winged  enemies,  some  of  them  of  great  size  and 
undoubted  courage. 


82 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   BOBBER    REGION    OF   THE    MEXICAN    MOUNTAINS 

A  typical  scene  in  the  mountains  of  Mexico — Mr.  Bayard  Taylor, 
an  American  traveller — Curious  and  disconcert! nir  experiences 
— "  They  are  demons  \" — Hostility  of  El  C'hucho,  the  dog— 
Hoi'des  of  hungry  insects — Approaching  the  "  robber  region  " 
— Many  warnings  to  the  traveller — All  unheeded — The  two 
Indians  on  the  lonely  mountain  track — Offer  to  carry  the 
traveller's  blankets — Suspicious  aroused — A  fresh  cap  on  the 
pistol — The  hint  is  enough — The  little  town  of  Magdalena 
among  the  hills — ''Don't  you  want  a  guide  ?'' — A  lonely  ravine 
— Suddenly  covered  by  a  double-barrelled  musket — Horse  and 
man  led  down  into  the  thickets — Stripped,  searched,  plundered 
— "  How  is  it  you  have  no  more  money  with  you  ?" — All  taken 
save  horse  and  papers — A  struggle  with  bonds — "  The  India- 
rubber  man  " — Three  robbers  on  a  gibbet  —A  ghastly  spectacle 
— A  military  station  met  with — A  policy  of  masteidy  inactivity 
— Cold  and  exposure  at  high  elevations — A  raging  toothache — 
Horse  quite  knocked  up — Arrival  in  another  den  of  thieves — 
A  kindly  padre — Safe  in  the  capital  at  last. 

"  I  CLIMBED  up  to  the  grand  Barranca,  a  tremendous  chasm, 
dividing  two  sections  of  the  tableland.  Two  thousand  feet 
below,  at  the  level  of  the  Tierra  Caliente,  lay  a  strip  of 
Eden-like  richness  and  beauty ;  but  the  mountains  which 
walled  it  in  on  both  sides  were  dark,  sterile,  and  savage. 
Those  opposite  to  me  rose  as  far  above  the  level  of  the 
ledge  on  which  I  stood  as  their  bases  sank  below  it.  Their 
appearance  was  indescribably  grand  .  .  .  the  road  descend- 

83 


CURIOUS  EXPERIENCES 

ing  to  Plan  de  Barranca,  a  little  village  at  the  bottom  of 
the  chasm,  is  built  with  great  labour  along  the  very  verge 
of  giddy  precipices,  or  notched  under  the  eaves  of  crags 
which  threaten  to  topple  down  upon  it.  The  ascent  of 
the  opposite  steep  is  effected  by  a  stony  trail,  barely  large 
enough  for  two  mules  to  pass,  up  the  side  of  a  wide  crevice 
in  the  mountain-wall.  Finally,  the  path  appears  to  fail ; 
the  precipice  falls  sheer  on  one  side ;  the  bare  crag  rises 
on  the  other." 

Such  is  the  description  given  by  Mr.  Bayard  Taylor, 
the  famous  American  traveller  and  writer,  of  a  particular 
spot,  typical  of  many  others,  among  the  Mexican  moun- 
tains, a  district  traversed  by  him  in  the  year  1849,  when 
Mexico  was  for  the  most  part  a  lawless  country,  and  most 
insecure  for  travellers,  especially  those  who  ventured  to 
penetrate  to  its  remoter  localities. 

Many  were  the  curious  experiences,  and  many  the 
dangers  he  met  with  in  so  wild  a  land  and  amongst  so 
lawless  and  reckless  a  population.  It  was  in  the  days 
when  not  a  few  Mexican  mines  were  yielding  good  supplies 
of  silver  ore,  though  in  our  own  days  many  a  one  of  those 
mines  is  represented,  as  the  phrase  goes,  by  "a  big  hole 
and  a  dead  mule."  Scores,  nay  hundreds,  of  idle  scamps 
lived  mainly  on  their  plunderings ;  the  government  was 
hopelessly  incapable.  Dirt,  insect  pests,  inhospitality, 
fatigue,  exposure,  hunger,  danger — all  had  to  be  endured 
by  Mr.  Taylor.  Yet  he  nowhere  exaggerates  or  unduly 
heightens  things  in  his  descriptions  ;  rather  is  he  disposed 
to  make  light  of  the  dangers  and  discomforts  by  his 
humorous  way  of  telling  his  story.  A  few  of  his  ex- 
periences among  the  mountains  are  worth  recounting. 

84 


HOSTILITY  OF  A  DOG 

On  one  occasion  he  was  staying  for  the  night  at  a  rude 
hut.  When  bedtime  came,  a  boy  fetched  from  the  loft  a 
sort  of  woven  cane  frame.  This  was  placed  under  the 
portico,  and  the  traveller,  tumbling  himself  upon  it,  was 
sound  asleep  in  a  couple  of  minutes.  During  the  night  he 
was  suddenly  aroused  by  a  "  scream  like  that  of  a  hundred 
fiends.  The  frame  on  which  I  lay  vvas  rocked  to  and  fro, 
and  came  near  overturning.  I  sprang  up  in  alarm,  finding 
my  bed  in  the  midst  of  a  black,  moving  mass,  from  which 
came  the  horrid  sound.  It  proved  to  be  a  legion  of  hogs, 
who  had  scented  out  a  few  grains  of  corn  in  a  basket 
which  had  held  my  horse's  feed,  and  was  placed  under  the 
bed.  The  door  of  the  hut  opened,  and  the  hostess  ap- 
peared with  a  lamp.  At  sight  of  her,  the  beasts  gave  a 
hasty  grunt,  cleared  the  wall  at  one  bound,  and  disap- 
peared. '  They  are  demons  !'  shrieked  the  woman."  Mr. 
Taylor  was  disposed  to  think  he  would  get  another  visit 
from  the  pigs  before  morning,  but  they  did  not  molest  his 
sleeping-place  again. 

On  another  occasion,  when  he  was  passing  the  night  at 
a  highland  ranching  station,  one  of  the  dogs  took  such  a 
violent  dislike  to  him  that  it  was  necessary  to  put  the 
stranger  to  sleep  on  the  top  of  a  frail  erection  used  for 
drying  fruit.  There,  a  dozen  feet  above  the  ground,  he  was 
safe  enough  from  the  attacks  of  the  animal  :  but  all  nig-ht 
long,  at  the  slightest  movement  on  the  part  of  the  traveller. 
El  Chucho,  as  the  dog  was  called,  would  set  up  a  vile  yell, 
the  rest  of  the  dog  tribe  howling  in  concert.  At  yet 
another  place  the  people  were  most  kind ;  "  but,"  says  the 
traveller,  "  all  the  fleas  in  the  village,  who  had  been  with- 
out sustenance  for  two   days,  pounced   in   upon  me  in 

85 


THE  "  ROBBER  REGION  " 

swarms.  Added  to  this,  every  exposed  part  of  the  body 
was  attacked  by  legions  of  mosquitoes,  so  that,  with  such 
enemies  without  and  within,  I  never  passed  a  more  terrible 
night." 

But  such  experiences,  though  annoying  and  tiresome 
enough  at  the  time,  were,  after  all,  only  incidents  to  laugh 
at.  Soon,  however,  there  were  more  serious  things  to  be 
encountered,  Taylor  was,  in  fact,  approaching  the  "  robber 
region,"  as  the  district  was  designated  by  the  Mexicans. 
Over  and  over  again  people  expressed  the  utmost  astonish- 
ment that  he  should  dream  of  going  all  alone  across  to 
Vera  Cruz.  The  Americans  he  met  were  especially  loud 
and  instant  in  their  warnings.  The  Mexicans,  they 
declared,  were  robbers  to  a  man ;  a  stranger's  life  was 
rarely  safe  among  the  mountains ;  and  the  hatred  of  the 
natives  towards  the  Americans  caused  all  strangers  from 
the  States  to  be  subjected  to  continual  insults,  if  nothing 
worse.  But  Mr.  Taylor  nevertheless  went  on  his  way  in 
the  best  of  spirits,  determined  to  believe  nothing  of  all 
this  till  he  saw  for  himself. 

He  had  not  long  to  wait ;  presently  he  got  a  foretaste 
of  what  was  to  come  later.  He  was  pushing  on  one  even- 
ing, his  horse  becoming  more  weary  at  every  step,  and  as 
yet  not  a  sign  of  a  habitation  to  be  discerned.  Then  two 
Indians,  mounted  on  small  horses,  came  down  from  the 
heights  by  a  crooked  path,  and  rode  just  in  front  of  him 
for  a  considerable  distance. 

"  Are  you  not  afraid  to  travel  alone.'*"  one  of  the  fellows 
presently  asked. 

"What  should  I  be  afraid  of.?"  returned  the  American 
coolly. 

86 


SUSPICIONS  AROUSED 

"  Why,  the  robbers." 

"Robbers  !  I  should  like  to  see  them." 

"  Rather  too  bold,"  muttered  the  Indian. 

The  two  then  began  to  pity  the  tired  horse,  and  next 
praised  the  traveller's  blankets.  One  of  these  blankets 
they  were  soon  trying  to  beg,  and  that  failing,  to  buy. 
At  last,  as  a  new  plan,  they  offered  to  carry  the  blankets 
behind  their  own  saddles.  All  in  vain ;  the  American 
would  not  trust  his  property  out  of  his  own  hands.  The 
Indians  trotted  on,  but  at  the  next  bend  in  the  path 
Taylor  found  the  fellows  waiting  for  him.  This  kind  of 
thing  happening  two  or  three  times,  the  traveller's  sus- 
picions became  aroused.  So  he  calmly  took  his  pistol  out 
of  his  pocket,  put  on  a  fresh  cap,  and  held  himself  in 
readiness  for  whatever  might  arrive.  His  coolness,  doubt- 
less, saved  him  ;  the  rascals  were  certainly  watching  him 
through  the  trees,  for  suddenly  they  started  oiF  at  full 
gallop,  and  were  seen  no  more. 

But  Taylor  was  soon  to  have  an  experience  of  a  much 
more  serious  kind,  unfortunately  for  him.  His  horse,  on 
reaching  the  brink  of  the  grand  Barranca,  spoken  of  in 
the  first  paragraph  of  this  narrative,  had  had  enough  of 
it  among  the  hard  hills  and  thin  air  of  those  lofty  regions, 
and  a  halt  was  made  for  the  night  at  an  inn  at  Mochitilte, 
an  immense  building,  standing  up  among  the  gaunt  hills 
like  a  big  fortress.  It  was  a  wretched  place  at  which  to 
stop,  being  bare,  dismal,  and  comfortless.  The  wind  was 
more  than  chilly,  and  Mr.  Taylor  was  glad  to  cover  himself 
with  his  horse's  blanket. 

He  slept  soundly  enough,  and  was  off  again  by  the  time 
the  sun  showed  himself  above  the  horizon.     The  way  led 

87 


"DON'T  YOU  WANT  A  GUIDE?" 

up,  and  ever  up,  for  league  after  league,  till  he  had 
reached  a  great  height,  and  had  got  himself  entangled 
amongst  the  wild,  bare  mountains.  Then  he  dropped 
down  to  the  little  town  of  Magdalena,  lying  at  the  foot  of 
a  glen, and  there  breakfasted.  "Don't  you  want  a  guide?" 
asked  the  landlord  of  the  inn  as  the  traveller  prepared  to 
start  again.  "  The  road  is  full  of  robbei-s."  And  the 
man  went  on  to  explain  that  every  traveller  took  a  guard 
as  far  as  Tequila,  paying  each  man  of  his  escort  a  dollar. 
The  proposal  did  not  commend  itself  to  Mr.  Taylor,  who 
made  answer  that  he  was  not  afraid  of  robbers,  and,  not- 
withstanding the  host's  warning  that  he  would  certainly 
be  robbed  if  he  staited  alone,  the  American  set  off'. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  town  he  met  a  company  of  a 
hundred  soldiers,  who  were  in  charge  of  some  fifty  mules 
laden  with  precious  ore  from  the  mines.  He  was  not 
sorry  to  see  them,  judging  that  the  presence  of  so  strong 
a  force  of  soldiery  in  the  district  would  frighten  off  the 
robbers.  He  needed  all  the  confidence  this  thought  gave 
him,  for  soon  the  road  entered  a  narrow  pass,  with  any 
number  of  twists  and  turns.  There,  at  the  bottom  of  a 
dry  watercourse,  nearly  twenty  feet  deep,  the  traveller 
plodded  on  for  three  leagues.  In  this  very  ravine,  his 
friend,  Lieutenant  Beale,  had  been  chased  by  robbers  only 
the  year  before.     Not  a  soul  was  encountered  now. 

A  startling  change  of  scene  next  presented  itself.  Sud- 
denly the  pass  came  to  an  end,  and  there,  far  below  him, 
lay  the  town  of  Tequila.  Just  beyond  the  place  rose  the 
"stupendous  bulk  of  a  black  volcanic  peak."  Down  an 
almost  impossible  rock-wall  his  animal  stumbled  to  the 
town.     The  locality  had  an  evil  reputation,  and  so  little 

88 


A  LOCALITY  OF  ILL  REPUTE 

did  the  traveller  trust  the  folk  that  he  stood  by  till  his 
animal  had  eaten  his  feed  of  corn,  to  keep  off  pilferers. 
After  dark  he  hardly  ventured  to  stir  out  of  doors.  He 
slept  scarcely  at  all,  being  almost  devoured  by  the  fleas. 

A  singular  occurrence  next  morning  set  him  pondering. 
It  was  at  a  miserable  little  hill  settlement,  at  no  very 
great  distance  along  the  track.  He  gave  the  woman  of 
the  house  a  Mexican  dollar  to  pay  for  some  light  refresh- 
ment he  had  had.  The  woman  took  the  coin  to  the  shop 
to  change,  but  presently  brought  it  back,  saying  it  was  a 
bad  one.  A  second  coin  was  similarly  reported  on.  When 
the  same  tale  was  told  of  a  third  dollar,  Taylor  lost  all 
patience,  and  refused  to  produce  another.  As  he  passed 
the  shop  on  his  way  out  of  the  hamlet,  a  little  group  of 
dirty  and  disreputable-looking  fellows,  who  were  drinking, 
offered  him  wine,  which  he  declined,  whereupon  one  of  the 
rascals  shouted  after  him,  "  It  is  the  last  time."  It  was 
not  till  later  that  Taylor  came  to  see  the  meaning  of  all 
this  :  the  people  of  the  place  were  desirous  of  finding  out 
whether  the  traveller  were  a  rich  man  or  no. 

Before  noon  he  found  himself  in  a  dreary  and  lonely 
spot  on  the  spur  of  a  volcano.  Here  he  dropped  into  a 
rugged  defile,  with  a  deep  ravine  or  gorge  on  the  right. 
He  could  not  help  thinking  what  a  place  this  would  be  for 
robber  operations,  and  that  he  had  better  load  his  pistol. 
"  Scarcely  had  the  thought  passed  through  my  mind  " — to 
quote  the  traveller's  own  words — "when  a  little  bush 
beside  the  road  seemed  to  rise  up.  I  turned  suddenly, 
and,  in  a  breath,  the  two  barrels  of  a  nnisket  were  before 
me,  so  near  and  surely  aimed,  that  I  could  almost  see  the 
bullets  at  the  bottom.    The  weapon  was  held  by  a  ferocious 

89 


ATTACKED  AND  CAPTURED 

native,  dressed  in  a  pink  calico  shirt  and  white  pantaloons. 
On  the  other  side  of  me  stood  a  second,  covering  me  with 
another  double-barrelled  musket,  and  a  little  in  the  rear 
appeared  a  third.  I  had  walked,  like  an  unsuspecting 
mouse,  into  the  very  teeth  of  the  trap  laid  for  me/' 

So  suddenly  and  so  quietly  had  all  this  taken  place  that 
the  traveller  for  a  moment  or  two  sat  still  in  his  saddle, 
hardly  taking  in  the  situation,  in  spite  of  the  hissed  com- 
mand of  the  first  robber:  "  Down  with  your  pistol !"  The 
summons  was  repeated,  this  time  more  fiercely,  and  the 
two  muzzles  were  brought  nearer  to  his  breast.  By  this 
time  Taylor  was  fully  alive  to  what  was  meant,  and  he  at 
once  threw  down  his  pistol,  and  got  off  his  horse.  The 
fellows,  keeping  their  victim  well  covered  the  while,  picked 
up  the  fallen  weapon,  and  commanded  the  owner  to  bring 
his  beast  along.  Down  into  the  gorge  they  led  the  way, 
for  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  away  from  the  regular 
track.  Here  they  halted,  in  a  copse  of  bushes  and  tall 
grass,  perfectly  screened  from  observation  from  the  moun- 
tain road.  One  of  the  fellows  lay  in  ambush  above,  to 
keep  watch  over  the  path. 

All  the  rest  now  levelled  their  guns,  and  a  more  timid 
man  than  Mr.  Taylor  might  have  been  excused  if  he  had 
thought  his  last  hour  had  come.  But  the  American  had 
confidence  that  he  would  somehow  come  out  of  his  diffi- 
culties alive.  His  main  feeling  was  one  of  shame  and 
disgust  that  he  had  allowed  himself  thus  to  be  trapped. 
However,  he  began  to  strip  at  the  command  of  the  gang, 
throwing  off  his  coat  and  vest  with  the  words,  "  Take  what 
you  want,  but  don't  detain  me  long."  The  leader  of  the 
robbers,  the  fellow  in  the  pink  shirt,  eagerly  snatched  up 

90 


A  STRUGGLE  WITH  BONDS 

the  coat,  and  began  to  examine  the  pockets.  The  look  on 
the  man's  face  was  a  study  when  he  found  that  the  purse 
in  one  of  the  pockets  contained  but  a  very  few  dollars,  and 
Taylor  smiled  inwardly,  as  the  phrase  goes. 

"  How  is  it  you  have  no  more  money  with  you  ?"  the 
scoundrel  asked  angrily. 

"  I  don't  own  any  more,"  was  the  traveller's  reply. 

At  Taylor's  earnest  request  the  papers  were  left  him, 
the  leader  saying  they  were  worth  nothing  to  them. 

All  this  time  the  unfortunate  wayfarer  had  been  made 
to  lie  face  downwards  ;  but  now,  taking  the  hunting-knife 
they  found  upon  him,  the  robbers  held  it  above  his  head, 
and  threatened  to  strike  if  he  moved.  His  hands  were  in 
a  moment  tightly  bound  together  behind  his  back.  The 
fellows  were  evidently  experienced  hands  at  their  trade. 
His  blanket  was  spread  on  the  ground,  and  into  it  the 
robbers  proceeded  to  put  everything  at  their  leisure.  A 
miscellaneous  assortment  of  goods  was  soon  piled  up — 
money,  thermometer,  papers,  card-case,  drawing-pencils, 
oranges,  cigars,  a  bag  of  ammunition,  and  even  a  piece  of 
soap,  an  article  the  Mexican  cut-throats  had  probably 
never  used  in  their  lives  !  They  left  the  owner  his  papers, 
as  has  been  said,  and  one  cigar  to  console  him  after  they 
had  departed. 

Their  examination  continued,  and  certainly  might  be 
described  as  thorough.  They  took  off  his  boots  and  stock- 
ings, and  searched  carefully  every  article  he  possessed. 
There  remained  only  the  horse,  and  the  robber  leader  asked 
sarcastically  whether  they  should  take  that  also.  But 
Taylor  plucked  up  courage  and  energetically  demanded 
that  they  should  leave  him  his  beast,  without  which  he 

91 


ESCAPE 

could  not  proceed  on  his  way.  Making  no  reply,  the 
fellows  walked  away,  leaving  the  animal  behind.  The 
leader,  however,  turned  back  after  a  few  yards,  and,  throw- 
ing down  an  orange  and  a  small  cake  or  two,  remarked : 

"  Perhaps  you  may  get  hungry  before  night." 

"  How  am  I  to  eat  it  without  hands  ?""  indignantly  asked 
Taylor, 

But  the  robber  departed  with  the  pleasant  remark : 

"  We  have  more  to  carry  than  we  had  before  we  met 
you.     Adieu !'' 

Here  was  the  traveller,  in  a  lonely  thicket  at  the  bottom 
of  a  deep  ravine,  far  from  the  usual  mountain  track,  that 
track  itself  for  the  most  part  an  unfrequented  one  amongst 
the  wild  mountains.  He  had  lost  his  all,  his  papers  and 
his  horse  excepted.  He  was  tightly  bound  ;  but  he  was  a 
man  of  resource  and  courage.  As  soon  as  his  assailants 
had  got  out  of  sight,  he  began  to  attempt  to  free  himself. 
Long  he  pulled,  and  tugged  in  vain,  for  he  was  tied  with 
many  knots,  and  the  knots  were  tight.  All  the  while  he 
had  an  odd  fancy  that  his  horse  was  laughing  at  him. 
How  he  freed  himself  at  length  he  thus  describes  : 

"  After  tugging  a  long  time,  I  made  a  twist  which  the 
India-rubber  Man  might  have  envied,  and,  to  the  great 
danger  of  my  spine,  succeeded  in  forcing  my  body  through 
my  arms.  Then,  loosening  the  knots  with  my  teeth,  in 
half  an  hour  I  was  free  again.  As  I  rode  off  I  saw  the 
robbers  at  some  distance,  on  the  other  side  of  the  ravine." 

Taylor  rode  rapidly  on — as  rapidly,  that  is,  as  the 
rugged  nature  of  the  mountain-track  would  allow.  At 
the  end  of  about  three  miles  he  came  upon  a  startling 
spectacle.     There  stood  by  the  wayside  a  rough  gibbet, 

92 


A  GHASTLY  SPECTACLE 

on  which  hung  in  chains  the  half-decayed  bodies  of  three 
robbers.  The  clothing  was  dropping  in  tatters,  and  the 
bones  protruded  from  the  bodies.  Over  their  heads  was 
an  inscription  in  large  letters :  "  Thus  the  law  punishes 
the  robber  and  the  assassin.""  It  was  a  ghastly  sight,  and 
one  that  might  have  tried  the  nerves  of  even  the  boldest 
of  travellers,  under  the  circumstances.  Around  were 
several  grave-mounds.  Later  on  Mr,  Taylor  learnt  the 
history  of  these  graves  and  the  gibbet.  Some  eighteen 
months  before,  there  had  been  a  camp  of  soldiers  and 
traders  on  the  spot.  They  had  been  attacked  by  a  large 
body  of  robbers,  and  a  tremendous  tight  had  taken  place. 
Eleven  of  the  traders  had  been  killed  in  the  affray.  This 
seems  to  have  been  too  nmch  even  for  the  Mexican 
authorities  of  those  days,  and  a  hunt  was  made,  with  the 
result  that  three  of  the  scoundrels  were  caught,  and 
received  the  reward  of  their  deeds  on  the  very  spot  where 
their  victims  had  been  buried.  Mr.  Taylor  could  not  but 
rejoice  that  some  of  the  rascals  at  least  had  met  with  their 
deserts. 

A  league  or  two  farther  on  the  wanderer  came  upon  a 
military  station — La  Venta.  There  were  plenty  of  soldiers 
about.  In  one  ]3lace  there  were  thirty  or  forty  together, 
rolling  about  lazily  or  playing  idle  games  in  the  shade. 
Taylor  promptly  reported  his  adventures  in  the  mountains 
to  the  commanding  officer,  and  furnished  such  close  de- 
scriptions of  some  of  the  robbers  as  would  serve  easily  to 
identify  them.  Naturally,  the  American  imagined  that 
immediate  steps  would  be  taken  to  hunt  for  and  bring  to 
justice  the  rascally  gang ;  he  did  not  know  the  Mexican 
ways  thoroughly  as  yet.     The  officer  merely  shrugged  his 

93 


SUFFERING  AND  EXHAUSTION 

shoulders,  and  neither  said  nor  did  anything  by  way  of 
response.  The  traveller  rode  on  disgusted.  As  he 
remarks :  "  A  proper  distribution  of  half  the  soldiers  who 
lay  idle  in  this  guard-house  would  have  sufficed  to  make 
the  road  perfectly  secure." 

The  traveller  hurried  on,  full  of  indignation.  His 
horse  was  showing  signs  of  fatigue,  but  higher  and  higher 
he  mounted,  till  the  air  became  very  cold  and  a  keen  wind 
swept  the  mountain  track.  The  robbers  had  left  him  little 
of  his  clothing,  and  both  man  and  beast  were  in  pitiable 
case.  Taylor  was  distracted  with  a  raging  toothache,  and 
his  horse  staggered  along,  exhausted  by  fifty  miles  of  toil- 
some mountain-road  that  day.  Nevertheless,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  push  on  to  some  settlement  that  night,  and  the 
master  had  to  urge  on  his  unfortunate  beast  with  a  thick 
stick.  When  at  last  the  poor  brute  stumbled  into  the 
town  of  Guadalajara,  he  was  so  spent  that  another  mile 
would  probably  have  finished  him  altogether. 

Everybody  whom  Taylor  met  in  the  town  stared  at  him 
and  his  horse  in  astonishment.  They  were  evidently  sur- 
prised beyond  measure  that  a  solitary  traveller  should 
venture  to  cross  their  mountains.  Much  talk  under  the 
breath  went  on  among  the  folks.  At  last,  a  good  old  padre 
came  near  and  whispered  in  the  traveller's  ear  :  "  Begone  ! 
What  business  have  you  to  stop  and  listen  to  us .''  Guada- 
lajara is  full  of  robbers.  You  must  be  careful  how  you 
wander  about  after  night.  Do  you  know  where  to  go  ?" 
Finding  that  the  traveller  was  a  complete  stranger  to  the 
place,  the  kindly  old  man  directed  him  to  a  house  where 
the  people  were  honest.  They  were  more  than  honest, 
and    they   sympathized    greatly    with    the    unfortunate 

94 


SAFE  AT  LAST 

wanderer,  but  marvelled  that  his  life  had  been  spared. 
Taylor  passed  a  night  of  suffering  from  toothache  and  fleas, 
but,  at  any  rate,  he  was  safe.  His  troubles  were  almost 
over,  and  before  many  more  days  had  passed  he  was  in 
the  Mexican  capital. 


95 


CHAPTER  VIII 

BIG   GAME   IN   THE   CASHAN    MOUNTAINS 

A  bit  of  spleudid  scenery — The  Caslian  Mountains  in  Southern 
Africa — Captain  Coruwallis  Harris,  a  keen  sportsman — He  and 
his  men  meet  a  band  of  Matabele  warriors  on  the  mountains — 
Savages  insolent  and  hostile — A  critical  time — The  Matabele 
and  the  Hottentot— '^* He  found  his  tongue" — Other  bands  of 
savages  met — Harris  shoots  a  water-buck — Piet  stumbles  over 
a  lion — Lions  prowling  around  the  camp  all  night — Lingap 
and  his  master — ^Three  lionesses  asleep — An  infuriated  rhino- 
ceros— "  I  threw  my  cap  at  him  " — A  spotted  hyena  killed — 
More  water-buck — Two  miles  bai'efooted  over  sharp  flints — A 
white  rhinoceros  rushes  the  camp — "  A  perfect  panorama  of 
game  " — A  buffalo  charges  on  three  legs — A  spleudid  specimen 
— Hottentots  gorged  with  flesh — A  disgusting  spectacle — The 
butfalo  and  the  captain — A  near  thing — A  tremendous  fire — 
Whole  district  in  danger — A  lucky  deluge — Every  spark  ex- 
tinguished— More  hurricanes — Camp  flooded — An  elephant's 
footmark — A  herd  of  elephants — A  dam  shot — A  whole  valley 
full  of  elephants  —  A  sublime  and  soul-stirring  picture  — 
Manoeuvring — A  parade  of  elephants  pass  the  Captain — Leader 
shot — A  scene  of  indescribable  confusion — Three  other  herds — 
A  whole  troop  crashes  through  the  camp. 

"  Here  the  scenery  was  beautiful.  Three  cascades  fell 
brawling  over  descents  of  several  feet  within  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  of  each  other,  flanked  by  stately  timber  trees  of 
splendid  growth  and  graceful  foliage,  which,  leaning  their 
venerable  forms  over  the  limpid  stream,  were  reflected  on 
its  glassy  bosom.     Huge  isolated  masses  of  rocks  reared 

96 


A  KEEN  SPORTSMAN 

their  stupendous  heads  at  intervals,  as  though  cast  there 
by  some  giant  hand  in  sportive  derision  of  the  current 
which  foamed  and  bubbled  round  them.  Upon  the  tops 
of  these,  cormorants  were  sunning  themselves  in  hundreds, 
while  scaly  alligators  were  basking  on  the  lower  tiers, 
amid  flowering  bushes  and  evergreens."" 

Such  was  the  kind  of  country  to  which  Captain  Corn- 
wallis  Harris  went  in  the  year  1852.  The  gallant  oificer 
was  no  mean  naturalist,  but  probably  he  would  have 
called  himself  a  sportsman  merely.  He  was  approaching 
the  Cashan  Mountains,  which  were  destined  to  furnish 
him  with  enough  excitements  and  dangers  to  last  an 
ordinary  man  a  lifetime.  His  keenness  after  game  was 
extraordinary,  and  was  surpassed  only  by  his  coolness 
at  critical  moments,  and  his  utter  disregard  of  risks  and 
dangers. 

He  and  his  men  were  at  the  foot  of  the  Cashan  heights, 
and  were  proceeding  towards  a  rift  or  pass  in  the  moun- 
tains, when  suddenly  there  appeared  a  band  of  Matabele 
warriors,  numbering  several  hundreds  altogether.  Now, 
these  Matabele  had  just  been  engaged  in  plundering  and 
murdering  certain  white  men,  so  that  when  the  host 
closed  round  the  traveller's  waggons  in  hostile  fashion 
there  was  cause  for  no  little  alarm.  The  manners  and 
the  speech  of  the  savages  were  alike  insolent,  as  they 
fiercely  ordered  the  drivers  to  stop,  a  number  of  men 
standing  in  front  to  bar  the  passage.  The  Hottentot 
servants  of  the  Englishman  were  frightened  almost  out 
of  their  wits  ;  and  when  a  number  of  wounded  Matabele 
warriors  were  presently  borne  past  on  their  shields,  one 
of  the  Hottentots  fainted  right  off.     The  situation  soon 

97  G 


HOSTILE  MATABELE  WARRIORS 

became  critical.  None  of  the  waggon  party  knew  a  word 
of  the  Matabele  tongue  except  one  gigantic  fellow,  Andries 
by  name,  and  he,  for  some  reason,  made  no  attempt  to 
help  his  master  out  of  the  difficulty.  Every  moment  the 
crowd  of  savages  pressed  closer  around,  and  some  of  them 
climbed  into  the  waggons,  where  they  turned  over  and 
examined  every  article.  What  was  about  to  follow  it  was 
not  hard  to  foresee.  But  suddenly  there  was  a  turn  of 
fortune.  One  of  the  Matabele,  a  huge,  brawny  fellov/, 
sprang  upon  Andries,  who  in  his  terror  managed  to 
stammer  out  a  few  words,  to  the  effect  that  the  English- 
man and  his  companions  had  just  had  the  honour  of  being 
entertained  by  the  King  Moselekatse,  Marvellous  was  the 
change  in  the  attitude  of  the  Matabele  at  the  mention  of 
the  name  of  their  King.  In  a  moment  they  ceased  their 
hostile  demonstrations,  and  even  became  suppliants,begging 
humbly  for  tobacco  and  beads. 

This  was  not  the  only  band  of  savages  met  that  day. 
Parties  great  and  small  made  their  appearance  from  time 
to  time,  till  before  night  the  total  must  have  reached  six 
or  seven  thousand.  Presumably  the  word  had  been  passed 
round  the  tribes  that  the  travellers  were  under  the  pro- 
tection of  their  King,  for  none  of  them  disturbed  the 
hunter  and  his  men.  A  camp  was  made  on  the  mountain 
near  a  streamlet,  and  the  Hottentot  servants  began  to 
fence  it  in,  according  to  custom.  While  this  was  going 
on,  the  Captain  went  out  with  his  gun,  and  was  lucky 
enough  to  shoot  a  water-buck,  a  rare  and  splendid  ante- 
lope ;  he  believed  himself  to  be  the  only  Englishman  who 
had  ever  shot  one  of  the  species.  It  may  be  added,  by 
way  of  parenthesis,  that  he  managed  to  bring  down  two 

98 


LINGAP  AND  HIS  MASTER 

more  the  next  day.  The  noise  of  the  report  disturbed  a 
lion  and  a  lioness  which  happened  to  be  close  by,  but  the 
pair  slunk  into  the  jungle.  On  his  return  to  the  camp, 
he  found  that  one  of  his  men,  Piet,  had  also  been  out  to 
try  his  luck,  and  he  had  actually  stumbled  over  a  lion. 
It  was  evident  that  these  beasts  were  particularly  plentiful 
in  the  neighbourhood,  and  the  leader  gave  orders  that  the 
fence  should  be  strengthened.  It  was  a  lucky  thing  that 
this  precaution  was  taken,  for  all  night  long  lions  were 
prowling  about  outside  making  efforts  to  get  at  the 
cattle. 

One  of  the  best  of  the  Captain''s  followers  was  Lingap, 
a  good  warrior  with  assegai  and  shield,  and  a  good  sports- 
man to  boot.  The  master  and  he  had  an  exciting  time 
of  it  on  the  Cashan  slopes  the  following  day.  The  two 
men  were  looking  down  upon  the  skeleton  of  an  elephant 
lying  not  far  below,  when  Lingap  suddenly  pointed  with 
his  assegai  to  a  bush,  and  whispered,  "  Tao  !"  (lions). 
And  there,  in  truth,  were  three  lionesses,  all  asleep. 
Lingap  hid  behind  his  shield,  while  Harris  fired  into  the 
middle  of  the  group,  immediately  afterwards  springing 
behind  a  tree.  Instantly  the  three  animals  leapt  to  their 
feet,  and  with  angry  roars  dashed  into  the  bushes.  The 
men  scampered  in  the  opposite  direction,  not  unnaturally. 
A  few  minutes  later  several  shots  were  heard  not  far  off, 
and  then  "  an  infuriated  rhinoceros,  streaming  with  blood, 
rushed  oyer  the  brow  of  the  eminence  that  we  were 
ascending,  and  was  within  pistol-shot  before  we  were 
aware  of  his  approach.  No  bush  presenting  itself  behind 
which  to  hide,  I  threw  ray  cap  at  him,  and  Lingap, 
striking  his  buckler  and  shouting  with  stentorian  lungs, 

99     . 


BIG  GAME  PLENTIFUL 

the  enraged  beast  turned  off.  I  saluted  him  from  both 
barrels,  and  he  was  immediately  afterwards  overturned 
by  a  running  fire  from  the  Hottentots,  every  one  of 
whom,  I  now  saw,  had  left  the  waggons  at  the  mercy  of 
the  oxen." 

Skirting  the  mountains  in  search  of  grass  for  the  cattle, 
the  hunters  found  the  big  game  more  plentiful  even  than 
before.  The  night  was  hideous  with  the  horrid  moaning 
sound  of  the  hyena,  the  dismal  yelling  of  the  jackal,  and 
the  roaring  of  the  lion.  However,  at  early  dawn  Hams 
was  astir,  and  managed  to  get  a  little  revenge  on  his 
disturbers,  bringing  down  a  spotted  hyena.  He  was 
presently  following  hard  after  a  water-buck,  when  the  sole 
of  one  of  his  boots  came  off.  Nothing  daunted,  and 
heedless  of  thorn  and  rock,  he  dashed  along  barefoot  for 
more  than  two  miles,  the  ground  thickly  strewn  with  sharp 
flints.  He  secured  his  buck,  and  then  made  for  the 
waggons,  which  were  moving  on  towards  their  next 
stopping-place.  Just  before  he  overtook  the  waggons  an 
immense  white  rhinoceros,  roused  from  his  snooze,  dashed 
furiously  at  the  first  of  the  vehicles,  crashing  noisily 
through  bushes  and  reeds,  and  snorting  loudly.  The 
oxen  were  half  mad  with  fear,  but  a  volley  from  the 
drivers  saluted  the  aggressor,  and  he  turned  away  into  the 
scrub.     He  was  promptly  followed  and  dispatched. 

But  Captain  Harris  had  long  been  wanting  to  reach  the 
vast  elephant  grounds,  and  he  made  all  the  advance 
he  could  each  day.  At  last  the  desired  territory  was  at 
hand,  and  eagerly  he  pushed  on  ahead,  taking  with  him 
Piet,  and  leaving  the  Hottentots  to  bring  up  the  rear. 
A  fine  roan  antelope  rose  before  the  hunters,  but  they 

100 


A\   U.N'wi'.i.roMK  Intrudkk 
An  infuriated  rliinoceros,  streamiuLj  with  blood;  rushed  towards  the  waggons 


THE  BUFFALO  AND  THE  CAPTAIN 

refrained  from  firing.  A  pair  of  white  rhinoceroses  next 
appeared  on  the  mountain  slope  directly  in  their  way. 
These  brutes  they  had  a  good  deal  of  difficulty  in  getting 
rid  of.  They  did  not  wish  to  make  any  noise  as  yet. 
But  the  procession  of  wild  animals  was  by  no  means  at  an 
end.  Presently  a  herd  of  wild  swine,  with  whip-like  tails 
erect,  came  trooping  along,  and  they  were  followed  by  two 
buffaloes.  "  It  was  a  perfect  panorama  of  game,"  the 
Captain  exclaims,  and  diflficult  he  found  it  to  keep  his 
followers  from  firing.  The  thing  was  bound  to  come 
sooner  or  later,  and  it  did.  Suddenly  a  loud  report  rang 
out  from  some  of  the  Hottentots  behind,  and  instantly 
there  was  confusion  in  the  covert.  A  whole  herd  of 
buffaloes  appeared,  and  dashed  helter-skelter  past.  Harris 
could  no  longer  contain  himself,  but  fired,  wounding  one 
of  the  buffaloes  in  the  hind-leg.  The  hunter  immediately 
mounted  his  horse,  but  not  too  soon,  for  the  buffalo 
charged  on  three  legs.  Two  or  three  times  did  the 
wounded  beast  return  to  the  attack,  and  Harris  had  an 
exciting  time  of  it.  At  last  he  managed  with  a  well 
aimed  bullet  to  bring  down  his  quarry.  The  buffalo  was  a 
splendid  specimen,  standing  sixteen  and  a  half  hands  at 
the  shoulder,  while  '*  his  ponderous  horns  measured  four 
feet  from  tip  to  tip,  and  like  a  mass  of  rock,  over- 
shadowing his  small,  sinister  grey  eyes,  imparted  to  his 
countenance  the  most  cunning,  gloomy,  and  vindictive 
expression." 

Leaving  his  Hottentots  to  gorge  themselves  on  the 
flesh — always  a  disgusting  spectacle,  the  Captain  tells  us — 
he  mounted  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  from  which  point  of 
vantage  the  view  far  and  near  was  of  the  most  striking 

101 


A  TREMENDOUS  FIRE 

and  extensive  character.  He  marked  a  big  herd  of 
buffaloes  quietly  chewing  the  cud  under  some  trees.  His 
first  shot  brought  down  one,  but  the  loud  report,  rever- 
berating among  the  mountains,  alarmed  the  whole  herd. 
Fifty  of  them,  panic-stricken,  and  crushing  everything 
underfoot  in  their  mad  stampede,  made  straight  for  the 
hunter,  and  he  was  within  an  ace  of  being  trampled  to 
death.  It  was  the  narrowest  escape.  His  waggons  had 
been  moving  on,  but,  seeing  by  the  smoke  where  his  men 
had  pitched  the  camp  for  the  night,  he  bent  his  steps 
towards  the  spot.  A  spectacle  to  create  loathing  and 
disgust  it  was  that  met  his  eyes.  His  followers  were 
absolutely  intoxicated  with  the  gorging  of  much  flesh,  and 
perfectly  incapable  of  any  sensible  action  or  behaviour, 
while  the  ground  around,  and  the  bushes,  looked  like 
nothing  but  a  filthy  slaughter-pit. 

Nor  was  this  all  that  angered  their  master.  In  their 
senseless  folly  the  Hottentots  had  set  fire  to  the  surround- 
ing grass  and  bush,  and  already  the  blaze  had  become 
alarming.  For  hours  before  he  went  to  bed  Captain 
Harris  sat  on  the  heights  watching  the  progress  of  the 
flames  below — a  splendid  spectacle — as  the  fire  rushed 
along,  devouring  everything  on  its  course.  But  he  began 
to  fear  for  his  prospects  of  game  if  that  enormous  confla- 
gration should  spread  over  the  whole  district,  a  thing  it 
appeared  likely  enough  to  do.  There  was  only  one  hope  : 
a  storm  was  coming  up  rapidly.  The  night  was  dark 
and  gusty.  Presently  thunder  sounded  among  the 
mountains,  vivid  forked  lightning  was  seen,  and  a  few 
preliminary  drops  of  rain  fell.  Meanwhile  "  a  strong 
south-east  wind,  setting  towards  the  hills,  was  driving  the 

102 


CAMP  FLOODED 

devouring  element  with  a  loud  crackling  noise  up  the  steep 
grassy  sides  in  long  red  lines,  which,  extending  for  miles, 
swept  along  the  heights  with  devastating  fury,  brilliantly 
illuminating  the  landscape  and  threatening  to  denude  the 
whole  country  of  its  vegetation.  Suddenly  the  storm 
burst  over  the  scene.  The  wind  immediately  hushed  ;  a 
death-like  stillness  succeeded  to  the  crackling  of  the 
flames.  Every  spark  of  the  conflagration  was  extinguished 
in  an  instant  by  the  deluge  that  descended,  and  the 
Egyptian-like  darkness  of  the  night  was  unbroken  even 
by  a  solitary  star." 

Next  afternoon,  the  camp,  having  moved  on  a  few  miles, 
was  pitched  under  the  shelter  of  an  overhanging  hill-side, 
another  hurricane  having  been  observed  approaching. 
Hardly  was  the  camp  arranged,  when  "  a  stream  of  liquid 
fire  ran  along  the  ground  ;  and  a  deafening  thunder-clap, 
exploding  close  above  us,  was  instantly  followed  by  a 
torrent  of  rain.""  The  rain  came  down  in  continuous 
streams,  and  soon  horses  and  oxen  were  knee-deep  in  water. 
The  men  in  the  baggage  waggons,  which  leaked,  passed  a 
bad  night ;  luckily  for  him,  the  Captain's  own  waggon- 
cover  was  water-tight.  But  sleep  was  out  of  the  question  for 
master  as  well  as  man.  "  The  earth  actually  threatened  to 
give  way  under  us ;''  and  so  vivid  and  blinding  was  the 
lightning,  that  he  was  glad  to  cover  up  his  eyes  with  his 
pillow.  The  results  were  seen  when  daylight  came :  the 
torrents  were  swollen  and  impassable,  and  the  only  path 
onwards,  an  exceedingly  narrow  pass  in  the  mountain-side, 
was  full  of  surging  water. 

Leaving  the  floods  below,  Harris  took  with  him  some  of 
his  men,  and  ascended  the  heights  in  search  of  elephants. 

103 


AN  ELEPHANT'S  TRACK 

Long  had  he  been  wanting  to  reach  their  feeding-grounds. 
He  gained  the  highest  peak,  and  gazed  around.  Not  far 
away  he  came  across  the  mark  of  an  elephant's  foot ;  it 
was  of  enormous  size.  Eagerly  he  measured  the  impression, 
and  then  made  his  calculation,  "  twice  the  circumference  of 
the  foot  always  giving  the  height  of  the  animal  at  the 
shoulder.""  He  found  that  this  particular  beast  must 
boast  a  height  of  twelve  feet,  which  the  hunter  believed 
to  be  the  maximum  for  an  African  elephant.  A  tramp 
of  eight  miles  along  the  crest  of  the  mountain  was 
required,  however,  before  a  sight  of  the  herd  could  be 
seen.  There,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  the  English- 
man saw  the  elephant  in  his  own  home.  "  With  intense 
and  indescribable  interest"  the  men  looked  down  at 
the  sight,  while  the  gigantic  Andries,  with  straining 
eyes  and  quivering  lips,  stammered  out,  "  Dar  stand  de 
olifant !" 

The  men  now  went  round  to  drive,  with  much  rattling 
of  shields,  the  elephants  towards  the  master.  All  uncon- 
scious of  the  presence  of  an  enemy,  the  animals  slowly 
walked  in  Harris's  direction,  and  soon  a  report  made  the 
hills  resound.  The  first  of  the  herd  fell,  and  the  rest  of 
the  elephants — they  were  all  females — fled  up  the  mountain 
slope  at  an  incredible  speed.  Mounting  their  horses, 
the  hunters  made  for  the  wounded  dam.  She  was  furious, 
and  in  spite  of  the  sharp  rough  stones  that  cut  her  feet, 
she  made  for  the  aggressors.  She  was  received  at  each 
charge  she  made  with  a  volley,  and  at  length  the  poor 
brute  fell  dead,  causing  the  very  ground  to  shake  with  the 
thud. 

The  Captain  had  now  time  to  gaze  about  him  a  little 

104 


VALLEY  FULL  OF  ELEPHANTS 

more.  He  found  himself,  to  his  surprise,  looking  into  a 
second  valley,  whose  existence  he  had  not  previously  noted. 
The  sight  that  met  his  eye  was  one  to  beggar  description, 
to  use  a  common  phrase.  "  The  whole  face  of  the  land- 
scape was  actually  covered  with  wild  elephants.  There 
could  not  have  been  fewer  than  three  hundred  within  the 
scope  of  our  vision.  Every  height  and  green  knoll  was 
dotted  over  with  groups  of  them,  whilst  the  bottom  of  the 
glen  exhibited  a  dense  and  sable  living  mass — their  colossal 
forms  being  at  one  moment  partially  concealed  by  the  trees, 
which  they  were  disfiguring  with  giant  strength  ;  and  at 
others  seen  majestically  emerging  into  the  open  glades, 
bearing  in  their  trunks  the  branches  of  trees,  with  which 
they  indolently  protected  themselves  from  the  flies.  The 
background  was  filled  by  a  limited  peep  of  the  blue  moun- 
tain-range, which  here  assumed  a  remarkably  precipitous 
character,  and  completed  a  picture  at  once  soul-stirring 
and  sublime." 

What  was  to  be  done  in  the  presence  of  all  this  marvel- 
lous abundance  of  majestic  game  ?  Harris  was  very  anxious 
to  see  whether  there  were  any  males  amongst  the  enormous 
herd,  and  he  sent  Andriesto  manoeuvre  amongst  the  beasts. 
The  man  contrived  so  that  a  large  number  of  the  elephants 
filed  slowly  in  front  of  the  master,  who  had  placed  himself 
in  a  position  of  advantage  on  a  little  ledge  above.  All 
that  paraded  proved  to  be  females  or  calves.  Harris  could 
have  killed  any  one  of  them  had  he  been  so  disposed,  but 
he  was  waiting  for  the  males.  Things  were  precipitated 
before  long,  however,  by  the  firing  of  a  gun  by  some 
blundering  native  in  the  vicinity.  Instantly  the  whole 
concourse  of  animals  was  on  the  move.     Hardly  had  the 

105 


A  SCENE  OF  CONFUSION 

men  time  to  get  themselves  behind  the  trees  before  a  score 
of  elephants  with  their  young  ones  were  upon  them,  filling 
the  air  with  their  loud  trumpetings.  With  the  utmost 
deliberation  Harris  steadied  his  rifle  against  the  tree,  and 
dropped  the  leading  elephant  instantly.  In  a  moment  the 
other  animals  rushed  upon  their  assailants,  and  the  men 
had  a  risky  time  of  it,  dodging  behind  trees,  flying  pell- 
mell  over  the  rough  stones,  and  ever  and  anon  running 
right  up  to  some  group  of  the  infuriated  beasts.  The 
scene  of  confusion  that  was  witnessed,  the  hunter  in  his 
fearless  way,  calls  amusing,  but  it  was  about  as  dangerous 
a  position  as  could  well  be  imagined.  However,  after 
some  time  of  this  hurly-burly,  all  the  animals  got  clear 
away,  except  the  dam  that  had  been  shot.  To  it  Harris 
and  his  man  once  more  made  their  way,  and  put  the 
creature  out  of  its  misery. 

The  two  men  now  made  tracks  for  the  camp — that  is  to 
say,  they  began  the  search  for  it,  being  quite  ignorant  as 
to  its  whereabouts.  In  the  course  of  their  wanderings 
they  encountered  no  fewer  than  three  other  groups  of 
elephants,  one  of  them  obstructing  their  line  of  route. 
Thev  chased  the  herd  for  a  mile  over  the  roughest  and 
sharpest  of  stones.  "Much  has  been  said,"  writes  the 
Captain,  "  of  the  attachment  of  elephants  to  their  young, 
but  neither  on  this  nor  on  any  subsequent  occasion  did  we 
perceive  them  evince  the  smallest  concern  for  their  safety. 
On  the  contrary,  they  left  them  to  shift  for  themselves."^ 
The  natives  assegaied  one  calf  that  was  left  behind  in  the 
flio-ht.  The  last  of  the  three  herds  was  not  encountered 
till  the  hunters  were  near  their  waggons.  On  being  dis- 
turbed, the  whole  troop  rushed  down  below,  and  crashed 

106 


A  FATIGUING  DAY'S  WORK 

right  through  the  camp,  "  causing  indescribable  consterna- 
tion amongst  cattle  and  followers.  But,  fortunately,  no 
accident  occurred,  and  after  the  fatiguing  day's  work 
we  had  undergone,  we  were  not  sorry  to  find  ourselves 
at  home." 


107 


CHAPTER  IX 

WITH    GALTON    IN  DAMARALAND 

W'hei'e  is  Damaraland  ? — Mr.  Francis  Galtou,  scientist^  explorer, 
sportsman — Lands  at  Walfiscli  Bay  —  Proceeds  towards  the 
mountain  region  —  Damara  villages  and  Damara  folk  —  A 
covetous  crew — Tactless  Gabriel — The  rhinoceros-hide  whip  on 
the  chiefs  legs  —  Startling  result  —  Mount  Erongo  —  Galton 
feverish — A  hill  "  built  by  Cyclopean  architects  " — Risky  paths 
— The  hut  of  a  Damara  chief — Hand-to-hand  combat  with  a 
lion — Lion  balked  of  his  supper — Waggons  and  "  sticking- 
points  " — A  bit  of  clever  wall-building — The  Hottentot  re- 
bellion— Galton  beards  the  rebel  chief  in  his  sti'onghold — A 
plenipotentiary  in  hunting  costume — Want  of  water — Native 
disappears  with  the  iron  pot — 111  with  too  much  water-drinking 
— A  novel  water-vessel — "  Tastes  very  doggy  " — A  fine  collec- 
tion of  mountains  in  sight— The  black  fellow  and  the  adder — 
Galton  and  the  green  snake — A  hasty  jump — Horrible  water  to 
drink — The  terrible  thorn-bush — Progress  stopped  by  it  alto- 
gether— Strayed  oxen  and  their  recovery  —  Damara  cattle- 
stealers — The  black  chief  in  his  severity — Men  assegaied — The 
white  chief  more  merciful — A  sound  flogging. 

Damaraland,  which  lies  inland  to  the  north-east  of  Walfisch 
Bay,  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  is  a  country  of  mountain 
and  plain,  of  scrub  and  rough  ground,  and  of  streams  that 
often  do  not  run,  but  are  mere  dry  river-beds.  Some  of 
its  heights  are  lofty,  reaching  an  elevation  of  at  least  six 
thousand  feet,  though  many  of  them  are  only  about  half 
that  height  above  sea-level.     It  was  to  this  land,  then 

108 


DAMARA  VILLAGES  AND  FOLK 

almost  unknown  to  the  civilized  world,  that  Mr.  Francis 
Galton,  the  eminent  scientist  and  explorer,  made  his  way 
in  the  year  1851. 

Working  eastwards  from  the  coast,  he  bent  his  course  in 
a  more  northerly  direction,  towards  the  mountain  regions 
of  Damara.  He  had  with  him  two  or  three  other 
Europeans,  including  Mr.  Andersson,  a  Swede,  and  a 
servant  named  Hans  Larsen,  besides  a  varied  following  of 
natives  of  one  kind  or  another,  oxen  and  waggons.  Start- 
ing from  the  valley  of  the  River  Swakop,  he  found  the  road 
very  stony  and  very  bad,  but  the  party  presently  reached 
an  upland  Damara  village,  the  inhabitants  of  which 
evidently  had  doubts  about  receiving  the  strangers.  How- 
ever, after  a  good  deal  of  explanation  Galton  and  his  men 
were  allowed  to  rest,  and  were  supplied  with  some  milk. 
Midday  saw  the  travellers  among  a  second  lot  of  Damara 
folk,  and  they  found  that  the  headman  of  the  village 
always  took  charge  of  the  explorer's  cattle  for  the  time 
being,  not  much  to  the  owner's  liking.  Nor  did  he  feel 
altogether  easy  in  the  midst  of  throngs  of  armed  savages, 
many  of  whom  were  ill-looking  scoundrels.  "  They  always 
crowded  round  us,"  he  says,  "  and  hemmed  us  in,  and  then 
tried  to  hustle  us  away  from  our  bags  and  baggage. 
They  have  an  impudent  way  of  handling  and  laying  hold 
of  everything  they  covet,  and  of  begging  in  an  authoritative 
tone,  laughing  among  themselves.  It  is  very  difficult  to 
keep  them  off,  and  the  least  show  of  temper  would  be 
very  hazardous  among  such  a  set  of  people.""  Yet  the 
explorer  admired  the  build  of  the  Damaras,  and  calls  them 
a  fine-looking  lot  of  fellows. 

Quite  early  in  his  exploration  of  the  highlands,  Mr. 

109 


TACTLESS  GABRIEL 

Gallon  and  his  party  were  in  a  position  of  very  serious 
danger.  One  of  the  servants  of  the  expedition,  a  lad 
named  Gabriel,  was  of  a  very  passionate  disposition,  and 
utterly  reckless.  His  master  was  greatly  afraid  lest 
Gabriel  should  involve  the  party  in  a  squabble  with  the 
natives  by  his  quarrelsomeness  and  his  entire  want  of 
tact.  "  If  fighting  had  once  commenced,"  says  Mr.  Galton, 
"  we  should  have  been  as  full  of  assegais  as  St.  Sebastian 
ever  was  full  of  arrows,  and  our  guns  would  have  availed 
but  little.""  The  Damara  fellows  were  crowding  round 
and  doing  their  best  to  tease  the  strangers,  and  with  so 
much  inflammable  material  about,  it  would  have  been  a 
marvel  if  no  blaze  had  broken  out.  Gabriel  it  was,  of 
course,  who  struck  the  spark.  One  of  the  native  dogs 
began  to  gnaw  a  leather  bag,  and  Gabriel  flew  after  him 
with  his  rhinoceros-hide  whip.  The  brute  retreated  to  his 
master,  the  Damara  chief.  Gabriel  followed,  and  struck 
out  savagely  with  his  whip,  missing  the  dog,  and  giving  a 
tremendous  slash  across  the  chief's  legs!  "Another  instant 
and  Gabriel  was  prostrate,  while  the  chief,  like  a  wild 
beast,  glared  over  him ;  the  muscle  of  every  Damara  was 
on  the  stretch.  Every  man  had  his  assegai.  My  gun  lay 
by  my  side,  but  I  had  sense  enough  not  to  clutch  at  it.'"* 
Gallon's  splendid  self-command  had  its  eff*ect  at  length, 
and  the  black  chief  allowed  Gabriel  to  get  up,  taking 
away  from  him  his  whip,  however,  as  a  punishment.  Even 
that  he  gave  up  before  the  strangers  left,  so  well  did 
Galton  manage  to  soothe  the  angry  passions  of  the  man. 
But  the  scene  might  have  had  a  different  and  a  terrible 
ending. 

The  mountain  Erongo  was  just  above  them,  the  escarp- 

110 


RISKY  PATHS 

ment  of  which  ran  on  for  a  length  of  fifteen  miles ;  the 
height  Mr.  Galton  roughly  calculated  to  be  something 
under  three  thousand  feet.  The  top  was  more  or  less  flat, 
but  there  was  a  sort  of  rent  in  the  middle,  as  if  the  moun- 
tain had  been  partly  split  in  two.  Towards  this  depression 
the  leader  and  one  or  two  of  his  men  prepared  to  climb, 
the  rest  remaining  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  with  the 
oxen  and  waggons.  Next  morning  Galton  sent  some 
natives  on  in  advance  to  announce  the  arrival  of  strangers 
to  the  people  there — it  was  a  wide  table-land — and  to  ask 
for  guides.  He  himself  was  in  a  state  of  incipient  fever, 
and  lay  down  all  the  morning  under  the  grateful  shadow 
of  an  overhanging  rock.  In  Damara  generally  there  is 
a  sad  want  of  shade.  He  found  the  mountain  to  be  com- 
posed of  enormous  white  rocks,  "  often  hundreds  of  feet 
without  a  fissure — the  hill  seemed  built  by  some  Cyclopean 
architect."  A  good  deal  of  the  time  the  men  had  to 
climb  without  their  shoes  to  prevent  slipping.  "When  we 
travelled  along  the  side  that  sloped  towards  the  fissures  it 
was  very  nervous  work,  for  my  feet  would  not  grasp  the 
rock,  and  if  I  had  tumbled  I  should  have  explored  much 
more  of  the  mountain  than  I  desired.  The  measurement 
of  these  slabs  is  not  in  feet,  but  in  hundreds  of  feet." 
The  climb  was  worth  the  trouble,  however.  There  were 
fine  views  from  the  top,  and  the  air  was  deliciously  cool  to 
the  explorer''s  throbbing  head.  He  would  much  have 
liked  to  make  the  place  his  summer  quarters. 

He  visited  the  hut  of  the  local  chief  while  on  Erongo. 
It  was  a  very  superior  sort  of  residence  for  those  parts,  and 
had  even  some  furniture,  a  stuffed  ottoman  being  con- 
spicuous in  one  of  the  rooms.     The  chief  was  quite  a 

111 


COMBAT  WITH  A  LION 

gentleman,  and  very  affable.  But  he  would  not  sell  the 
stranger  any  cattle,  and  to  obtain  some  had  been  one 
object  Mr.  Galton  had  in  view  when  he  climbed  the 
heights.  Further,  the  black  chief  declared  that  he  was 
unable  to  furnish  any  guides,  his  men  being  afraid  to 
venture  far  away.  Moreover,  he  was  not  the  sole  lord  of 
the  mountain,  but  shared  his  power  with  two  or  three 
other  chiefs.  He  had  a  very  pretty  daughter,  who  was 
also  a  thorough  coquette,  and  wore  a  shell  dangling  from 
her  front  hair;  this  she  could  throw  over  either  eye  at 
her  choice,  the  performance  being  very  dexterous  and 
very  effective. 

When  the  Englishman  reached  the  foot  of  Erongo 
again,  he  found  that  there  had  been  lively  times  during 
his  absence.  First,  Mr.  Andersson  had  had  an  exciting 
brush  with  a  lion.  He  had  been  on  one  side  of  a  bush 
and  the  animal  on  the  other — rather  too  close  a  proximity. 
Before  the  beast  could  come  to  closer  quarters,  its  growls 
were  silenced  by  a  well-aimed  bullet  from  the  Swede. 
This  might  be  styled  almost  a  hand-to-hand  encounter. 
When  night  had  closed  in,  a  still  more  striking  scene  had 
been  witnessed.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream  by 
which  they  were  camping,  a  lion  was  observed  to  attack 
and  kill  a  giraffe.  At  once  the  whole  community  turned 
out,  every  man  can-ying  a  fire-brand.  Without  hesitation 
the  natives  ran  straight  up  to  the  dead  giraffe,  frightening 
off"  the  king  of  beasts.  Then,  by  the  light  of  torches,  for 
it  was  pitch  dark,  the  fellows  coolly  cut  up  the  flesh.  All 
the  time  the  lion  kept  prowling  around,  baffled  and  noisy ; 
but,  though  he  kept  close  at  hand,  he  dared  not  attack 
those  who  were  robbing  him  of  his  supper. 

112 


WAGGONS  AND  STICKING-POINTS 

Mr.  Galton's  experience  of  travelling  with  the  bulky 
and  cumbrous  ox-waggons  was  not  at  all  a  happy  one, 
and  he  never  liked  the  business,  from  the  first  day  he  had 
of  it  to  the  last.  The  progress  with  them  was  slow  and 
hampering  ;  the  oxen  were  often  very  troublesome  ;  there 
was  no  proper  road ;  the  country  was  rough  in  the  extreme, 
especially  now  the  travellers  were  entirely  in  the  mountain 
regions,  with  lofty  peaks  showing  on  every  side  about 
them.  Sometimes  the  waggons  stuck  in  the  numerous 
rifts  and  trenches,  and  it  required  hours  of  labour  to 
extricate  them  from  their  position.  On  one  occasion 
"the  sticking-point  was  a  deep  sand-pitch,  of  about  six 
feet  high,  out  of  the  river-bed.  The  oxen  drew  the  waggon 
till  its  fore-wheels  reached  the  top  of  the  pitch,  and  there 
it  stuck.  We  tried  everything,  but  the  pull  was  entirely 
beyond  their  power;  indeed,  they  were  far  too  wild  to 
exert  themselves  together.  It  really  seemed  as  though  we 
should  remain  fixed  ther?  till  the  oxen  had  been  thoroughly 
broken  by  other  means,  or  till  the  river  swept  us  away." 
And  it  was  not  till  Mr.  Galton  had  carried  out  an  ingenious 
but  laborious  plan  that  the  waggon  was  hoisted  out  of  the 
hollow.  He  first  pinned  the  front  wheels  in  their  position 
near  the  top  of  the  pitch,  so  as  to  prevent  back-slipping ; 
then,  levering  up  one  of  the  hind-wheels  with  a  pole,  he 
placed  a  big  flat  stone  beneath.  The  other  hind -wheel 
was  treated  in  like  fashion,  and  then  a  second  stone  was 
placed  under  each.  Thus  the  process  went  on,  till  at  last 
a  regular  wall  had  been  built  beneath  the  two  back  wheels, 
and  they  had  been  elevated  to  the  level  of  the  fore- wheels. 
A  vigorous  pull  now  set  the  waggon  on  its  way  again; 
but  its  position,  tottering  on  the  top  of  those  slab  walls, 

113  H 


THE  HOTTENTOT  REBELLION 

must  have  been  precarious,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  and  it 
was  a  marvel  that  no  catastrophe  occurred. 

It  was  at  the  time  of  the  Hottentot  rebellion  under 
Jonker,  whose  fastness  was  not  far  away,  that  Mr.  Galton 
was  travelling  in  Damaraland,  and  he  had  been  asked  by 
the  Cape  Government  to  act  as  a  sort  of  informal  com- 
missioner. He  was  to  endeavour  to  see  the  rebel  leader, 
and  administer  to  him  a  severe  rebuke,  pointing  out  the 
enormity  of  his  misconduct,  and  the  extreme  displeasure 
with  which  it  was  regarded  by  the  authorities.  It  was  a 
ticklish  appointment,  but  the  unpaid  commissioner  pre- 
pared to  do  his  duty.  He  donned  his  red  hunting-coat, 
his  jack -boots,  his  cords,  and  his  hunting- cap.  Thus 
arrayed,  and  mounted  on  his  spirited  ox,  Ceylon,  he  made 
an  imposing  figure.  The  way  to  Eikhams,  where  Jonker's 
stronghold  was, lay  over  very  uneven  ground,  and  the  journey 
involved  the  climbing  of  a  lofty  mountain.  Hans  knew 
the  place,  however,  and  was  able  to  point  out  Jonker's 
hut  when  Eikhams  was  reached.  There  was  great  excite- 
ment among  the  commissioner's  followers  as  the  journey 
neared  its  end,  and  even  Ceylon  caught  the  infection,  and 
began  to  sniff  the  air  like  a  war-horse.  Just  before  the 
place  was  reached,  there  came  an  obstacle  in  the  shape  of  a 
little  torrent.  ''  It  was  rather  deep,  and  four  feet  wide  ; 
but  I  was  in  hunting  costume,  and  I  am  sure  Ceylon  knew 
it,  for  he  shook  his  head,  and  took  it  uncommonly  well. 
In  fact,  oxen,  if  you  give  them  time,  are  not  at  all  bad 
leapers.  The  others  followed  in  style.*"  Ceylon  trotted 
straight  to  Jonker's  hut,  and  there  stopped  short,  his 
head  and  horns  blocking  the  entire  doorway.  The  ap- 
parition of  the  Englishman  in  his  gaudy  hunting  dress — 

114 


WANT  OF  WATER 

the  like  of  which  assuredly  no  man  of  those  regions  had 
ever  seen  before — produced  an  immense  effect,  not  only 
upon  the  whole  settlement,  but  upon  the  rebel  chief 
himself.  As  Galton,  glaring  down  upon  him  from  the 
height  of  his  saddle,  rated  the  man  in  grand  and  telling 
style,  Jonker  dared  not  once  look  him  in  the  face.  The 
commissioner  went  on  to  insist  on  an  immediate  stop 
being  put  to  the  state  of  rebellion,  on  a  full  apology  to 
the  proper  quarter,  and  on  justice  being  done  to  the 
Damaras,  whom  Jonker  had  treated  so  badly.  All  this  in 
the  very  heart  of  the  rebel  stronghold,  to  the  very  face  of 
the  chief  himself,  and  surrounded  by  the  armed  and  law- 
less rebel  following ! 

Much  hardship  was  often  caused  by  the  want  of  water. 
On  one  occasion  the  expedition  was  in  sore  straits, 
having  had  nothing  to  drink  for  a  considerable  time. 
They  had  with  them,  indeed,  no  vessel  capable  of  holding 
liquids,  except  an  iron  pot.  The  Damara  servants  were 
quite  spent,  and  one  of  the  natives,  who  carried  the  iron 
pot,  dropped  exhausted  by  the  wayside,  while  one  or  two 
more  fell  farther  on.  At  night  the  rest,  who  had  travelled 
on,  came  to  a  supply  of  water,  and  in  their  delight  drank 
and  drank  till  they  were  ill.  "  I  continued  resolving  to 
drink  no  more,""  writes  the  explorer,  "  and  then  rewarded 
my  resolution  with  one  more  mouthful.  One  cannot  help 
drinking ;  the  water  seems  to  have  no  effect  in  quenching 
the  thirst."  They  waited  for  a  day  in  order  to  see  if  any 
of  those  who  had  fallen  tired  by  the  way  would  make  their 
appearance,  but  nothing  was  seen  of  them.  When  the 
waggons  moved  on,  it  was  very  desirable  to  carry  a  little 
water,  for  it  was  doubtful  if  any  more  would  be  reached 

115 


NOVEL  WATER- VESSEL 

that  cIa3^  But  the  difficulty  was  to  find  anything  capable 
of  holding  water ;  even  the  iron  pot  was  lost  to  them.  In 
his  extremity  Mr.  Galton  bethought  him  of  a  useless  dog 
he  had,  and  the  animal  was  killed  and  skinned.  The  skin, 
sewn  up,  made  a  water-vessel  of  a  sort,  but,  as  the  master 
tells  us,  the  contents  tasted  very  doggy !  Strange  to  say, 
the  death  of  the  poor  cur  was  speedily  avenged,  for  that 
very  night  a  pack  of  wild  dogs  came  upon  the  camp  and 
killed  every  sheep  the  expedition  possessed  !  To  crown  all, 
the  only  two  goats  belonging  to  the  party  had  strayed 
away  in  the  night,  and  were  lost.  Nevertheless,  the 
journey  had  to  be  resumed ;  but  when  a  halt  was  made  for 
the  next  night,  to  the  astonishment  of  everybody  the 
missing  native  turned  up,  the  iron  pot  still  on  his  head ; 
what  was  more,  he  drove  before  him  the  two  lost  goats, 
which  he  had  met  with  on  his  way.  The  black  brought 
his  master  "  a  whacking  big  stick,"  as  a  matter  of  course, 
with  which  to  beat  him  for  having  strayed  away  from  the 
rest  of  the  party  ! 

Other  mountains  were  visited  on  the  march,  such  as 
Eshuameno.  while  still  more  peaks  were  seen  around. 
"  In  front  rose  the  two  magnificent  cones  of  Omatako, 
each  appearing  as  perfect  as  Teneriffe.  To  the  far  left 
were  many  broken  mountains,  some  of  which  must  look 
down  upon  Erongo.  More  northerly  lay  the  long  escarp- 
ment of  another  Ghou  Damup  mountain,  Koniati ;  and  to 
the  westward  of  north  a  very  distant  blue  hill  was  seen, 
which  had  to  be  passed  on  our  way  to  Omanbond^."  It 
was  near  this  place  that  one  of  the  servants  began  to 
make  a  fire  under  a  bush,  when  he  suddenly  started  up  in 
dire  alarm  and  made  off  at  full  speed.     He  had  noted  a 

116 


GALTON  AND  THE  SNAKE 

puff-adder  in  the  bush.  It  was  here,  too,  that  the 
travellers  saw  the  first  herd  of  wild  animals,  over  a 
hundred  hartebeest  being  observed  in  one  place,  and  four 
hundred  gnus  not  far  away.  Another  bit  of  excitement 
was  caused  by  the  appearance  of  an  animal  that  Andersson 
thought  to  be  a  puma.  Of  this  animal  the  natives  often 
spoke.  They  described  it  as  being  a  good  deal  like  a  lion, 
but  smaller.  It  was  suid  to  be  very  shy,  and  seldom  seen 
by  anybody.  Mr.  Galton  thinks  it  might  have  been  a 
young  lion. 

Another  mountain,  Omuvercoom,  brought  the  travellers 
fresh  experiences  and  excitements,  and  new  dangers,  of 
course.  The  oxen  were  left  below  with  some  of  the 
Damaras,  while  the  leader  and  the  rest  of  his  followers 
proceeded  to  climb  to  the  summit.  Some  parts  of  the 
hill  Mr.  Galton  declares  to  have  been  the  most  rugged 
he  ever  climbed.  "  I  was  utterly  blown,  and  had  just 
mounted  up  on  a  kind  of  natural  step,  when,  while  I  was 
balancing  myself,  I  found  that  I  had  put  my  foot  on  the 
tail  of  a  great  dark  green  snake,  who  was  up  in  an  instant, 
with  his  head  as  high  as  my  chest,  and  confronting  me. 
I  had,  though  used  up  with  my  run,  just  sense  and  quick- 
ness enough  left  to  leap  over  the  side  of  the  rock,  and  came 
with  a  great  tumble  among  the  bushes.  The  snake,  too, 
came  over  after  me,  I  can  hardly  suppose  in  chase,  because 
he  did  not  follow  me  when  we  were  at  the  bottom  together: 
but  I  ran  after  him  a  long  way,  for  I  was  not  hurt,  throw- 
ing stones  at  the  reptile.  A  Damara,  who  was  some  way 
behind,  was  carrying  my  gun,  and  I  had  not  even  a  stick." 

Two  of  the  greatest  plagues  to  the  explorer  were  the 
want  of  water,  of  which  something  has  already  been  said, 

117 


THE  TERRIBLE  THORN-BUSH 

and  the  prevalence  of  the  terrible  thorn-bush.  Of  the 
water,  the  explorer  says  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time  to 
enlarge  on  some  of  the  horrible  stuff  they  had  now  and 
then  to  drink.  A  shallow  pond  of  only  a  few  yards 
in  diameter  may  have  had  wild  animals  by  the  score 
splashing  about  in  the  water  for  hours,  and  rolling  to  their 
hearts""  content.  The  stuff  looked,  and  in  fact  was, 
exactly  like  farmyard  drainage.  Yet  this  was  all  the 
luckless  men  had  at  times  to  depend  upon.  Then  the 
thorn-trees :  they  grew  worse  and  worse  as  the  expedition 
proceeded,  and  at  last  threatened  to  put  a  stop  to  all 
further  progress.  Not  an  ox  would  face  the  thorns. 
Indeed,  a  single  bush  terrified  them  almost  out  of  their 
wits,  and  the  animals  plunged  and  tossed,  and  threw  their 
harness  into  confusion.  The  whip  was  quite  useless,  and, 
in  fact,  it  made  matters  worse.  So  mad  and  vicious  were 
the  oxen  that  their  drivers  dared  not  approach  them.  As 
for  the  men  themselves,  their  clothes  and  hands  were  badly 
torn.  One  day  the  caravan  laboured  among  these  horrible 
bushes  from  eleven  in  the  morning  till  dark.  When  the 
stop  was  made  for  the  night  not  a  blade  of  grass  could  be 
found  for  the  poor  beasts,  and  when  morning  came  most 
of  them  had  disappeared,  not  unnaturally.  The  blacks 
went  off  helter-skelter  after  the  missing  oxen,  not  even 
stopping  to  snatch  a  bite  of  breakfast  before  they  started. 
While  the  men  were  absent  the  master  made  a  little 
exploration  of  the  country  around,  and  found,  to  his  great 
delight,  that  only  two  or  three  miles  away  there  was  a 
beautiful  running  stream,  with  plenty  of  grass  about. 
Fortunately,  the  cattle  were  overtaken  at  no  very  great 
distance  and  brought  back. 

118 


DAMARA  CATTLE-STEALERS 

One  of  the  Damara  chiefs,  Kahikene  by  name,  was  more 
friendly  than  the  rest,  and  an  incident  occurred  in  which 
he  showed  his  disposition  to  behave  well  towards  the 
Englishman.  Some  of  the  waggon-oxen  were  missing  one 
morning,  and  on  their  spoors  being  followed,  it  was  soon 
seen  that  they  had  been  driven  away  by  Damara  men. 
Galton  at  once  went  to  complain  to  Kahikene,  and  the 
chief  promised  to  see  to  the  matter  immediately.  Accord- 
ingly, he  sent  a  gang  of  his  men  after  the  thieves.  A  day 
or  two  elapsed,  but  at  length  the  searchers  returned, 
bringing  three  out  of  the  four  cattle,  the  fourth,  the  lead- 
ing ox  of  the  team,  as  it  happened,  having  been  killed. 
They  also  brought  in  six  of  the  thieves.  These  culprits 
Kahikene  proposed  to  hang  in  a  row  on  the  projecting 
branch  of  a  tree.  The  Englishman  protested  that  the 
punishment  was  more  than  they  deserved,  and  pleaded  for 
the  lives  of  the  fellows.  To  this  appeal  the  black  replied 
that  though  Mr.  Galton  might  forgive  them  the  theft, 
yet  their  chief  must  punish  as  he  thought  fit  their  dis- 
obedience to  himself,  and  he  sent  the  men  away  in 
custody.  Four  of  them,  Mr.  Galton  learnt  later  on,  were 
assegaied ;  the  other  two  escaped,  but  one  of  them  was 
caught  again  and  brought  to  the  explorer.  The  white 
chief,  more  merciful  than  his  black  brother,  contented 
himself  with  giving  the  thief  a  sound  Hogging. 

[From  "Narrative  of  an  Explorer  in  Tropical  South  Africa," 
by  Francis  Galton,  F.R.S,  Ward,  Lock  and  Co.  By  kind 
permission  of  Mr.  Francis  Galton.] 


119 


CHAPTER  X 

THE    WILD    HILL   TRIBES    OF   NORTH    AJ-EICA 

The  Gei'debah  range — Mr.  Hamilton,  an  English  traveller  in  North 
Africa — A  wild  and  difficult  country — His  wanderings  among 
the  higlilands — "  Les  Vesuves  " — Arrival,  in  pitchy  darkness, 
at  Siwah — A  wearisome  cross-examination — Summoned  to  a 
meeting  of  sheikhs — A  hostile  crowd  outside— Ordered  to  leave 
the  place — A  plucky  refusal — The  Mufti — Attack  by  night  on 
the  Englishman's  tents — A  haii-breadth  escape — He  sends  a 
servant  to  the  sheikh  Yusuf — Attack  recommenced — Hamilton 
slips  away  from  his  tent  under  cover  of  darkness — Refuge  in 
Yusuf's  house — A  small  cottage  opposite  assigned  to  him — A 
mob  of  wild  fanatics  from  the  outlying  hills  appears — Attack  on 
empty  tents — Letters  to  Viceroy  and  British  Consul  secretly 
dispatched — Hamilton  a  prisoner — Repeated  shots  into  the 
prison-house — Threats  and  insults — Yusuf  summoned  for  har- 
bouring a  Christian — A  violent  attack  on  the  prison — Yusuf 
now  shares  imprisonment — His  protestations  and  adjurations — 
Desperate  situation  for  the  two  men — A  furious  gale  from  the 
south  alarms  the  hillmen — They  depart  suddenly  to  Arab 
fastnesses — Some  amelioration  of  prisoners'  lot — Arrival  of 
cavalry  from  the  Viceroy — A  complete  and  ludicrous  turning 
of  the  tables. 

Mo.sT  people  are  aware  that  the  African  continent  for 
the  main  part  has  high  ground  running  near  to,  and  more 
or  less  parallel  with,  the  coast.  This  is  true  even  of  those 
shores  which  are  washed  by  the  Mediterranean.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  elevations  are  not  usually  very  great. 
Still,  there  are  ranges  of  hills  which  figure  on  the  maps  as 

120 


A  WILD  COUNTRY 

"  mountains.""  Such  is  the  line  of  Gerdoba  (or  Gerdebah) 
Mountains,  on  the  borders  of  Tripoli  and  Egypt.  This 
is  what  an  aforetime  traveller  in  the  district  says  of 
them  :  "  These  hills  ultimately  reach  a  considerable  height. 
Journeying  over  such  ground  is  singularly  fatiguing.  .  .  . 
They  rise  on  one  side  in  long  gentle  svt^ells  and  fall 
suddenly  on  the  other,  forming  an  angle  vertically  of 
about  seventy  degrees,  while  eight  or  ten  feet  on  this,  one 
would  say,  the  lee  side,  are  perfectly  perpendicular." 

It  was  in  this  country  that  a  British  traveller,  Mr. 
Hamilton,  spent  some  time  more  than  fifty  years  ago. 
He  was  endeavouring  to  visit  various  spots  of  historic  or 
antiquarian  interest,  and  a  difficult  matter  he  sometimes 
found  it,  among  those  remote  and  semi -barbarous  hill 
tribes.  He  was  riding  one  evening  in  a  bare  and  lonely 
valley,  night  coming  on,  and  he  himself  at  some  distance 
from  the  rest  of  the  caravan.  A  few  words  from  his 
description  of  the  locality  will  help  to  realize  the  sort  of 
scene  before  him.  "  A  ridge  of  round-backed  sandhills 
forms  the  separation  between  the  Little  Gerdebah  and 
the  immense  range  of  low  dark  hills  and  table- lands  which 
here  presents  itself.  A  line  of  sandstone  rocks,  with  nearly 
perpendicular  sides,  bounds  the  line  of  road,  sometimes 
closing  upon  it,  sometimes  leaving  a  wide  plain  on  either 
side.  In  the  basins  thus  formed  rocks  rise  frequently  in 
the  form  of  low  truncated  cones,  generally  i.i  two  steps, 
one  rising  from  the  other,  so  like  diminutive  craters,  that 
in  referring  to  this  day's  journey  my  servant  always  calls 
them  '  Les  Vesuves.' " 

Twenty-six  hours  did  it  take  to  cross  this  range  of 
highlands,  and  in  the  mornings  and  evenings  the  cold  was 

121 


ARRIVAL  AT  SIWAH 

considerable  ;  even  in  the  midday  sunshine  the  thermometer 
was  more  than  once  found  to  indicate  only  forty-five  degrees. 
Passing  over  Mr.  Hamilton's  explorations  of  various  ruins, 
often  fantastic  in  shape,  of  ancient  temples  and  the  like, 
we  may  follow  him  to  the  hill-oasis  of  Siwah.  It  was 
pitch  dark,  and  it  was  only  with  difficulty  his  guide  could 
make  out  the  road.  Soon,  however,  the  traveller  found 
his  horse  clambering  up  what  seemed  to  be  the  face  of  a 
precipice ;  five  minutes  later  he  was  riding  among  walls. 
The  settlement  had  been  reached,  and  presently  he  stood 
before  the  house  of  a  sheikh.  The  official  proved  friendly, 
and  courteously  offered  to  assist  the  stranger  in  any  way 
he  could.  He  put  Mr.  Hamilton  through  a  long  and 
wearisome  cross-examination,  but  in  the  end  made  arrange- 
ments for  him  to  pitch  his  tents  on  a  plain  to  the  south  of 
the  town.  On  the  left  rose  some  limestone  rocks,  with  a 
castle,  formerly  occupied  by  a  garrison.  The  town  itself 
stood  on  a  big  conical  rock,  the  houses  completely  covering 
it,  while  to  the  west  were  other  cliffs,  with  many  caverns. 
These  rocks  were  in  places  lofty. 

But  troubles  began  almost  at  once.  The  stranger  was 
summoned  to  the  house  of  the  sheikh  Yusuf,  and  was 
received  in  a  room  open  to  the  street.  A  great  crowd 
was  assembled  outside,  while  seated  on  the  floor  round  the 
room  were  several  stupid-looking  old  men,  whom  Hamilton 
found  to  be  the  sheikhs  of  the  place,  Yusuf  began  a  long 
speech,  the  gist  of  which  was  that  the  town  council  and 
the  men  of  Siwah  generally  would  not  permit  the  presence 
of  a  Christian  among  them.  Yusuf  tried  to  soften  the 
force  of  his  announcement  by  calling  the  authorities 
fools. 

122 


THE  MUFTI 

"  They  have  no  sense,  no  sense  !"  he  shouted  again  and 
again. 

"  They  must  learn  sense,  or  buy  it,"  was  the  stranger's 
plucky  reply. 

And  Mr.  Hamilton  went  on  to  state  that  he  was  an 
Englishman,  that  he  was  inoffensive,  that  he  was  armed 
with  a  passport  from  a  Sovereign  whom  even  the  Sultan 
Abdul  Mejid  himself  would  respect.  He  ended  by  throw- 
ing upon  the  sheikhs  the  responsibility  of  whatever  might 
come  as  the  result  of  their  hostility  and  inhospitality. 

The  Englishman  at  this  point  thought  it  wise  to  send 
for  his  revolvers,  which  he  had  left  in  his  tent.  Then, 
mounting  his  horse,  he  began  to  ride  away  through  the 
crowd.  At  that  moment  the  Mufti  came  up,  and,  at 
Yusufs  earnest  request,  Hamilton  stayed  to  describe  to 
that  great  functionary  the  object  of  his  visit  to  the 
country.  The  Mufti  attempted  to  explain  away  the 
hostility  of  the  townsmen,  but  was  unable  to  deny  that  it 
existed,  and  to  a  serious  degree.  At  this  juncture  one  of 
the  fellows  in  the  street,  who  had  from  the  first  been  most 
insolent,  began  to  cry  that  the  Christian  should  not  be 
allowed  to  defile  with  his  cursed  presence  the  air  of  their 
blessed  country,  and  that  the  best  thing  the  stranger  could 
do  was  to  get  himself  out  of  the  territory  with  all  speed. 
The  man  went  on  to  say  that,  not  so  long  before,  four 
hawajahs  from  Alexandria  had  come,  and  that  they  had 
been  fired  on  and  turned  out  of  the  place. 

'Tm  not  a  hawajah,"  the  Englishman  boldly  replied, 
"  and  I  do  not  mean  to  run  away." 

For  three  hours  Hamilton  stood  his  gi'ound,  but  at  last 
retired  to  his  tents,  his  negro  cook  in  mortal  terror,  since 

123 


HAMILTON'S  TENT  ATTACKED 

he  had  heard  the  townsmen  declare  that  they  were  coming 
to  attack  the  camp  in  the  night.  The  master  himself 
laughed  at  the  servanfs  fears,  and  ate  his  dinner  tranquilly 
enough.  He  had  settled  down  comfortably  to  his  pipe, 
when  suddenly  three  shots  were  fired  in  quick  succession, 
the  bullets  piercing  the  canvas  of  the  tent  and  passing  just 
over  his  head  with  a  shrill  whistle.  Hamilton  took  very 
little  notice  of  even  a  demonstration  of  this  sort,  thinking 
it  was  only  meant  as  a  rough  joke  to  frighten  him.  He 
made  a  note  of  the  incident  and  the  time  in  his  pocket- 
book,  and  then  went  to  peer  out  of  the  door  of  his  tent. 
The  night  was  of  pitchy  blackness,  and  apparently  all  was 
quiet  and  still.  The  barking  of  a  dog  presently,  however, 
told  him  that  there  were  people  about,  all  unseen  though 
they  might  be.  He  now  thought  it  best  to  send  a  servant 
into  the  town  to  tell  Yusuf  what  had  occurred. 

Directly  the  man  had  left  the  firing  began  again.  Says 
the  traveller :  "  I  now  began  to  think  the  affair  more  serious 
than  I  had  supposed.  I  heard  one  gun  hang  fire  close  to 
my  tent,  and,  turning,  saw  its  muzzle  pressed  against  the 
wall  of  the  tent  on  the  shadow  of  my  head ;  I  therefore 
had  all  the  lights  put  out,  and  went  cautiously  out  to  get 
a  view  of  my  assailants.  The  night  was  so  black  that  this 
was  impossible,  but  it  also  favoured  ray  evasion.  After 
counting  eleven  volleys,  which  gave  me  grounds  to  suspect 
that  there  was  a  numerous  body  of  men  in  the  date-trees 
to  the  right,  I,  with  my  servant,  went  up  to  the  sheikh 
Yusuf 's  house,  abandoning  the  tents  to  their  fate.  Moving 
cautiously  across  the  plain,  which  separated  us  from  the 
town,  and  climbing  the  steep  street  which  led  to  the  house, 
we  could  still  see  the  fire  of  the  enemy's  guns,  and  the  more 

124 


REFUGE  IN  YUSUF'S  HOUSE 

frequent  flashes  in  the  pan,  to  which  we  probably  owed  our 
escape." 

He  met  on  the  way  the  messenger  he  had  sent  to  Yusuf  s, 
and  the  man  reported  that  he  had  been  unable  to  arouse  the 
sheikh ;  and,  in  fact,  it  required  some  vigorous  blows  with 
the  butt-end  of  a  gun  to  awake  the  sleepy  elder.  Hamilton 
related  what  had  happened,  and  added  that  he  was  going  to 
stay  till  the  morning.  Yusuf  at  once  sent  off  some  of  his 
fellows  to  protect  the  camp.  These  men  found  that  the  tents 
had  not  been  actually  entered,  but  that  they  were  full  of 
bullet-holes.  One  shot  had  passed  immediately  over  the  spot 
where  the  Englishmen  had  been  reclining  ;  had  he  been  in  a 
less  recumbent  position,  he  would  doubtless  have  lost  his  life. 

Morning  came  at  length,  and  then  Yusuf  assigned  to 
the  stranger  a  small  house  of  three  rooms,  opposite  to  his 
own.  One  of  the  apartments  was  built  out  on  the  flat 
roof,  and  occupied  a  part  of  it,  so  that  there  was  a  sort  of 
small  terrace  in  front  of  the  room.  On  this  elevated  spot 
Hamilton  stood,  to  take  in  the  view,  when  he  caught 
sight  of  a  large  body  of  men  on  the  plain  below.  There 
were,  apparently,  several  hundreds  in  the  company,  and 
they  marched  with  flags  and  camels  to  the  tents.  It  soon 
appeared  that  the  entire  population  of  an  outlying  hill 
settlement  had  come  forth  against  the  Christian  dog, 
bringing  their  beasts  to  carry  off"  the  plunder. 

The  procedure  of  these  rascals  was  curious.  They  found 
the  tents  closed,  but  believing  that  the  Englishman  and 
his  servant  were  within,  they  dared  not  for  a  long  time 
venture  near.  The  fact  was,  marvellous  descriptions  of 
the  wonderful  weapons  the  stranger  carried  had  been 
circulated  about  the  town,  and  all  stood  in  mighty  dread 

125 


DIRE  STRAITS 

of  his  puissance.  It  was  not  till  some  time  after  that 
one  of  the  bolder  spirits  dared  to  open  the  door  and  peep 
into  the  tent  supposed  to  be  tenanted  by  the  master. 
Meanwhile  Yusuf  had  been  in  conference  with  his  brother 
sheikhs,  to  whom  he  had  represented  that  they  would  be 
required  to  replace  tenfold  any  goods  the  Englishman 
might  lose  by  plunder  in  their  town.  The  result  was  that 
some  of  the  authorities  went  down  to  the  spot,  and  after 
some  hours  succeeded  in  dispersing  the  mob.  Hamilton 
rode  over  to  see  the  condition  of  the  camp.  He  found 
everything  in  the  utmost  confusion ;  but  nothing  had 
been  taken  away. 

By  this  time  Mr.  Hamilton  saw  that  it  was  high  time  for 
him  to  get  himself  away  from  so  hostile  a  people,  if  it  were 
possible.  He  intended  to  go  to  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt, 
and  beg  for  an  escort  of  cavalry  with  which  to  return. 
This  was  a  plan  more  easily  conceived  than  carried  out. 
He  found  it  impossible  to  procure  camels  for  the  journey. 
He  then  proposed  to  hire  donkeys  as  substitutes,  but 
Yusuf  declared  that  without  camels  it  was  impossible  to 
proceed  across  the  intervening  deserts.  Even  when,  after 
a  weary  waiting,  the  stranger  managed  to  procure  three 
camels,  the  Mufti  warned  him  against  leaving  the  town, 
saying  that  he  would  undoubtedly  be  waylaid  and 
murdered  within  an  hour  or  two.  of  his  quitting  the  place. 

In  these  dire  straits  Hamilton  tried  another  plan.  He 
wrote  a  letter  to  Her  Britannic  Majesty's  Consul-General 
at  Cairo,  requesting  his  interference  and  aid.  It  was 
with  much  trouble  that  he  persuaded  Yusuf  to  lend  a 
messenger  to  take  the  letter,  and  the  sheikh  quickly 
repented  of  it.     Luckily  the  man  had  by  that  time  got 

126 


HAMILTON  A  PRISONER 

well  on  his  way  in  the  direction  of  Cairo.  The  commotion 
among  the  authorities  of  the  place  when  they  learnt  of  the 
dispatch  of  the  missive  was  very  great.  They  wei'e 
feverishly  anxious  to  know  what  the  Englishman  had  said 
to  the  Consul.  It  was  not  till  the  messenger  had  got 
too  far  to  be  fetched  back  that  Hamilton  gave  them  any 
information  on  the  point. 

The  luckless  traveller  was  now  a  close  prisoner,  confined 
to  the  little  cabin  opposite  Yusufs  house,  and  there  he 
remained  for  some  weeks.  The  time  did  not  hang  too  heavily 
on  his  hands,  he  says,  for  there  were  excitements  not  a  few. 
One  evening  four  shots,  fired  at  intervals  into  his  house, 
kept  him  sufficiently  on  the  alert.  Another  day  a  great 
mob  assembled  in  arms  and  announced  their  intention  of 
exterminating  the  Christian,  and  so  ending  the  matter. 
The  danger  was  somehow  averted,  and  then  a  deputation 
of  the  elders  came  to  suggest  that  Hamilton  should  go 
away  in  peace,  looking  over  all  that  had  taken  place,  and 
carrying  no  complaint  to  the  Pacha.  To  this  the  prisoner 
made  answer  that  his  letter  must  be  already  in  Cairo,  and 
that  consequently  all  talk  about  not  complaining  to  the 
Pacha  was  useless.  Then  Yusuf  was  summoned  before  the 
magistrates  to  answer  the  charge  of  harbouring  a  Christian 
— a  grave  offence.  Next  the  townsmen  attempted  to 
assassinate  Yusuf,  setting  cut-throats  in  the  dark,  narrow 
lanes  to  slay  him  as  he  passed  through.  The  unfortunate 
Mussulman  was  thoroughly  scared,  and  not  unnaturally, 
for  his  father  had  been  done  to  death  in  a  similar  way. 

Things  presently  assumed  an  even  more  serious  aspect. 
A  fresh  attack  on  a  large  scale  was  planned  in  the  town, 
and  this  came  to  the  ears  of  Yusuf.     It  was  clear  that 

127 


YUSUF  IN  DANGER 

immediate  and  vigorous  action  must  be  taken  for  the 
defence  of  himself  and  his  guest.  His  plan  was  this : 
entering  several  of  the  largest  houses  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  his  own  and  of  Hamilton's  prison-house,  he  garrisoned 
them  with  armed  men.  Then,  with  ten  companions,  he 
went  over  and  posted  himself  in  the  cottage  occupied  by 
the  stranger,  who  was  fortunately  well  supplied  with  arms, 
and  seems  to  have  been  quite  ready  to  use  them  in  case  of 
necessity.  But  before  long  he  begged  that  the  garrisons 
might  be  withdrawn  from  the  neighbouring  houses,  because 
if  the  attack  from  the  mob  should  become  furious,  there 
would  be  a  danger  of  hitting  friend  as  well  as  foe. 
Luckily,  the  threatening  demonstration  ended  in  nothing 
worse  than  wild  yells.  The  end  came,  in  fact,  in  an 
unlooked-for  way,  for  the  principal  men  of  the  place,  think- 
ing no  doubt  of  the  penalty  they  might  have  to  p'y  should 
the  Pacha  interfere  on  behalf  of  the  travelle:,  gathered 
together  a  force  and  drove  off  the  savage  hillmen,  who 
were  the  most  active  and  hostile  among  the  furious  crowd. 
The  two  bodies  met  at  the  foot  of  the  rock,  and  peace  was 
restored  without  any  bloodshed.  From  that  night  a 
regular  patrol  of  the  town  was  kept  up  by  the  elders. 

Yusuf  himself  was  now  practically  a  prisoner,  just 
as  much  as  his  guest,  and  accordingly  the  two  men 
remained  in  the  same  house  together.  Not  many  evenings 
after,  the  Christian  and  his  Mussulman  friend  were  on  the 
roof  of  their  dwelling.  A  great  rock  overlooked  the 
spot,  and  on  this  some  persons  in  the  street  below, 
happening  to  look  up,  perceived  four  men  with  guns  creep- 
ing along.  The  prisoners  had  their  backs  at  that  moment 
turned  to  the  place  where  the  would-be  murderers  stood, 

128 


THREATS  AND  INSULTS 

and  saw  nothing  of  the  danger  till  a  huge  hubbub  arose. 
People  from  below  dashed  up  the  rock  with  frantic  cries. 
Of  the  four  men  two  were  taken  ;  the  others  made  good 
their  escape.  The  defence  the  fellows  made  was  absurd — 
namely,  that  they  were  crow-shooting — but  it  was  accepted 
by  the  authorities.  It  should  be  explained  that  the  gall 
of  the  crow  was  reckoned  a  sovereign  remedy  for  sore 
eyes. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  recount  a  tithe  of  the  annoyances, 
the  insults,  the  threats,  the  attacks,  from  which  the 
prisoners  suffered.  For  Yusuf  had  by  this  time  lost  all 
influence  with  his  fellow-townsmen,  and  was  kept  in  con- 
finement with  the  stranger  Christian.  Even  the  little 
children  down  in  the  street  yelled  up  ribaldry  and  insult. 
Twenty  days  went  by,  and  still  no  sign  of  a  reply  from 
either  the  British  Consul  or  the  Viceroy,  to  whom  also 
Hamilton  had  managed  to  send  off  a  letter.  Matters  did 
not  look  promising,  to  say  the  least  of  it, 

Yusuf  himself  spared  no  effort  to  convince  his  brother 
elders  who  visited  him  that  they  would  all  have  to  pay 
dearly  for  their  conduct  towards  this  Christian.  All  his 
representations,  his  protestations,  his  abjurations,  were 
thrown  away.  No  one  would  listen  to  him.  Then,  by  the 
strangest  and  most  unexpected  of  chances,  the  elements 
effected  in  a  few  hours  what  Yusuf  had  laboured  for  three 
weeks  to  bring  about.  One  day  a  violent  hot  wind  from 
the  south  sprang  up,  and  raged  furiously  for  the  greater 
part  of  a  week.  This  was  regarded  by  the  people  of  the 
country  as  an  "  unfailing  signal  of  some  coming  calamity."''' 
Accordingly,  the  ringleaders  in  the  anti-Christian  tumults, 
scared  and  conscience-stricken,  to  the  number  of  a  hundred 

129  I 


HAMILTON'S  LOT  AMELIORATED 

and  forty,  left  for  the  Arab  encampments  away  in  the 
mountains. 

In  this  curious  way  it  came  about  that  Hamilton's  lot  was 
made  both  easier  and  safer.  It  was  droll  to  see  the  way  in 
which  the  different  sheikhs  tried  to  curry  favour  in  his  eyes. 
One  by  one  they  would  come  to  him  in  secret,  each  protest- 
ing that  he  was  entirely  innocent  of  any  participation  in 
the  late  attacks  ;  that,  in  truth,  he  was  the  only  innocent 
man  in  the  town.  Then  each  ended  by  begging  that  the 
stranger  would  be  careful  to  notify  as  much  to  the  Consul 
and  to  His  Highness  the  Viceroy. 

It  was  exactly  six  weeks  after  his  captivity  had  begun 
that  the  Englishman  was  finally  set  free.  One  evening- 
some  fellows  ran  into  the  house,  crying,  "  Baksheesh  for 
good  news !"  They  had  witnessed  the  arrival  of  a  couple 
of  officers,  the  outriders  of  a  troop  of  cavalry  sent  by  the 
Viceroy  of  Egypt.  These  two  officers  proved  to  be 
tremendous  swaggeiers,  and  gave  themselves  magnificent 
airs,  after  the  fashion  of  Easterns  in  authority.  They  pro- 
ceeded to  make  huge  demands  for  man  and  beast  on  the 
town,  but  what  they  actually  got  was  about  a  fourth  of 
what  they  had  asked.  At  Hamilton's  wish  the  requisitions 
were  made  only  on  the  hostile  part  of  the  people.  Never 
was  seen  a  more  complete  turning  of  tables.  Hamilton 
now  became  a  veritable  autocrat  in  the  town,  giving  what 
orders  and  dictating  what  terms  he  would.  His  friend 
Yusuf,  and  his  kindly  countenance  and  assistance  all 
through  those  unhappy  weeks,  he  did  not  forget.  But  he 
demanded  the  arrest  of  several  of  the  sheikhs,  of  the  Cadi, 
and  of  the  Imaum  of  one  of  the  mosques.  These  prisoners 
he  desired  to  have  carried  to  Cairo,  there  to  answer  to  the 

130 


ALL  ENDS  WELL 

Viceroy  himself.  A  good  word  from  the  late  prisoner 
saved  the  Mufti  from  being  taken  oflF  also.  Hamilton  made 
all  his  demands  in  writing,  and  the  officer  in  command  of 
the  cavalry  seemed  to  be  mortally  afraid  of  anything 
produced  by  pen  and  ink. 

Thus  all  ended  well  for  the  traveller,  but  it  might 
easily  have  been  otherwise.  His  life  had  been  in  the 
greatest  danger  all  the  time  of  his  six  weeks'  imprison- 
ment, and  from  no  persons  more  than  from  the  outlying 
highland  tribes  of  the  Gerdebah  range  who  had  flocked 
into  the  little  town. 


131 


CHAPTER  XI 

IN   THE   ATLAS    MOUNTAINS 

The  Atlas  Mountains  not  well  known — An  English  clergyman 
travels  among  them — The  Monkey  Brook — A  road  that  tries  the 
nerves — A  lion  lately  seen — The  ]\Jount  of  Lions — A  hunt  after 
a  huge  beast — A  boy  up  a  tree  and  a  lion  below — A  lion  scare 
with  a  ludicrous  ending — A  tall  story  of  a  lion  and  a  soldier — 
The  native  dogs  and  the  dangling  legs  of  the  English  rider — 
A  camel  foal  and  its  fun — Robbers  plentiful — The  French 
Government  and  the  brigands — A  sulky  crew — An  aneroid  and 
a  covetous  Arab — A  Frenchman  murdered  by  a  Morocco  robber 
— Swift  justice — ^Vithout  shelter  for  the  night  on  the  moun- 
tains— A  pack  of  ferocious  dogs — A  bivouac  in  an  Arab  stable — 
Hungry  and  thirsty — An  uncomfortable  prospect  for  the  night 
— An  enormous  wild  boar — A  carriage  and  six — Steeplechases 
across  the  rough  wastes — Two  terrific  bumps— Jugglers  and 
magicians — Licking  a  red-hot  shovel — Eating  a  prickly-pear 
leaf— Disagreeable  tricks — The  Englishman's  want  of  faith. 

The  Atlas  range  of  mountains,  however  famous,  is  yet  but 
little  known  to  the  civilized  world.  Most  of  us  are  aware 
that  there  are  really  two  Atlas  ranges,  called  the  Great 
and  the  Little  Atlas  Mountains,  although,  except  in  one 
part,  the  summits  of  the  Great  Atlas  are  by  no  means  so 
high  as  those  of  the  Little  Atlas.  It  is  this  latter  chain 
of  mountains  that  is  best  known  to  Europeans,  because  it 
is  nearer  the  coast,  and  nearer  the  French  colonial  city 
of  Algiers,  so  much  visited  nowadays.     The  mountains 

132 


A  CLEKGYMAN'S  TRAVELS 

throw  out  great  buttresses,  as  it  were,  to  the  very 
coast. 

In  the  year  1857  an  English  clergyman,  Mr.  Blakesley, 
had  a  good  round  amongst  these  Atlas  ranges,  both  the 
Great  and  the  Little,  though  more  especially  the  latter. 
Up  and  down  the  country,  and  in  and  out  in  every  direc- 
tion, he  travelled,  often  in  districts  where  there  were 
either  no  roads  at  all,  or  very  indifferent  ones.  Of  serious 
dangers,  perhaps,  there  were  few,  but  there  was  one  gorge 
known  as  the  Monkey  Brook,  on  account  of  the  number 
of  monkeys  found  there,  that  Mr.  Blakesley  traversed  with 
considerable  alarm.  The  carriage  road  runs  on  a  narrow 
shelf  on  the  cliff  wall,  and  there  is  no  parapet.  A  sudden 
swerve  on  the  part  of  the  horses,  or  an  awkward  stumble, 
would  precipitate  vehicle  and  occupants  into  the  fearful 
chasms  below.  The  traveller  found  it  trying  to  the  nerves 
to  sit  still  in  such  a  place.  Moreover,  to  make  matters 
worse,  the  rock  is  very  soft,  and  the  heavy  rains  cut  big 
grooves  into  the  surface  of  the  road,  much  as  a  schoolboy 
might  carve  notches  on  the  edge  of  his  desk.  The 
authorities  take  great  care  to  fill  up  these  ugly  gaps  with 
lumps  of  stone  as  soon  as  possible,  but  when  Mr.  Blakesley 
passed  along  this  road  it  had  been  raining  heavily  all  the 
night  before,  and  the  road -menders  had  not  yet  got 
through  the  work  of  repairing.  The  carriage  crossed 
several  of  the  broken  gaps  with  a  lurch.  Had  an  accident 
occurred,  the  wayfarer  tells  us,  the  world  at  large  would 
never  have  heard  a  word  of  it. 

"  Down  would  go  horses,  carriage,  and  traveller  into 
the  bed  of  the  Chiffa,  far  away  from  any  European  habita- 
tion.    In  the  course   of  the   day  some  Arab   shepherds 

133 


LIONS 

would  perhaps  light  upon  the  wreck,  when,  in  their  quiet, 
impassive  way,  they  would  collect  the  fragments  of  harness 
and  ironwork  with  the  remark,  '  God  is  merciful,"'  and 
leave  the  mutilated  corpses  to  be  devoured  by  the  jackals." 

But  there  were  other  dangers  to  be  apprehended  among 
those  remote  mountain  districts.  The  Englishman  was 
not  long  in  observing  that  most  wayfarers  there  carried  a 
gun.  They  were  not  sportsmen,  but  took  the  weapons 
as  a  protection  against  wild  beasts.  In  one  place  he  and 
other  passengers  were  alarmed  by  the  report  that  a  lion 
had  been  recently  seen,  and  had  devoured  two  cows 
belonging  to  a  native  farm.  The  ladies  travelling  were 
terribly  frightened,  but  the  district  was  passed  without 
a  sight  of  the  prowling  lion.  All  they  saw  was  the 
skeleton  of  a  slaughtered  ox,  the  bones  of  which  had  no 
doubt  been  picked  clean  by  the  jackals,  of  which  there 
were  many  everywhere,  after  the  king  of  beasts  bad  made 
his  own  repast.  The  panther  seemed  to  be  even  more 
dreaded  by  the  Arabs  than  the  lion. 

There  is  one  hill  which  rejoices  in  the  name  of  the 
Mount  of  Lions,  though,  oddly  enough,  a  lion  is  seldom 
seen  there.  In  other  places  there  were  rather  too  many. 
At  Jemappes,  in  the  province  of  Constantine,  a  very  fine 
lion,  in  the  full  light  of  day,  attacked  a  herd  of  cattle  and 
killed  two  cows.  This  was  just  before  Mr.  Blakesley 
arrived.  The  whole  population  turned  out  to  hunt  the 
depredator,  and  in  less  than  an  houi-  the  brute  was  killed. 
He  was  found  to  weigh  close  upon  five  hundredweight. 
The  flesh  was  all  eaten,  and  its  taste  was  said  to  resemble 
that  of  beef.  Another  lion  made  his  appearance  in  a 
corn-field  which  was  watched  over  by  an  Arab   boy  of 

134 


A  SCARE 

fifteen.  The  lad  carried  a  gun,  mainly  to  shoot  the  wild 
swine  which  abounded  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  lion 
was  probably  after  the  same  sort  of  work  as  the  boy,  the 
slaughter  of  the  pigs.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  youngster 
climbed  into  a  tree,  taking  his  gun  with  him,  and  when 
the  lion  came  and  roared  at  him  underneath,  he  let  fly  in 
the  coolest  manner.  Fortunately  for  the  lad,  the  bullet 
went  in  at  the  beasfs  mouth,  and  probably  into  the  brain, 
for  next  morning  the  lion  was  found  dead  not  far  away. 

Sometimes  the  lion  scares  ended  in  a  different  fashion. 
Mr.  Blakesley  was  travelling  in  a  sort  of  carrier's  cart, 
with  two  or  three  country-folk  as  fellow-passengers.  On 
the  hill-side,  where  there  was  a  thick  wood,  a  large  animal 
suddenly  appeared  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  road. 

"  It  is  a  lion  !"  exclaimed  one. 

"  No,  it  is  a  dog,"  replied  a  second. 

"  It  is  a  young  lion  !"  cried  a  third  passenger. 

The  Englishman  was  naturally  in  a  state  of  perturba- 
tion ;  the  natives,  on  the  other  hand,  discussed  the  matter 
as  calmly  as  if  the  subject  had  been  the  weather  or  the 
crops.  The  stranger  hardly  knew  whether  to  be  delighted 
or  disappointed,  when  the  brute  ahead  proved  to  be  a 
very  big  mastiff. 

One  of  the  passengers  seized  the  occasion  to  tell  a  lion 
story,  which  is  too  extraordinary  to  be  missed.  A  couple 
of  French  soldiers  set  off,  but  not  together,  to  travel 
between  two  settlements.  The  first  man  was  drunk,  and, 
after  managing  to  lose  his  sword  somehow,  he  fell  down 
by  the  wayside  and  dropped  into  a  profound  sleep.  His 
mate,  quite  sober,  picked  up  the  lost  sword  as  he  followed, 
and  at  last  came  upon  the  sleeping  man,  who  was  lying 

135 


VICIOUS  DOGS 

close  to  what  appeared  to  be  part  of  a  tree-trunk  covered 
with  browned  grass.  But  when  he  gave  the  sleeper  a 
kick  to  arouse  him,  what  was  his  horror  to  find  that  he 
had  kicked,  not  his  mate,  but  a  huge  lion  which  was 
crouching  by  his  side  !  The  aggressor  made  off,  of  course, 
at  his  best  pace,  and  the  lion  did  not  attempt  to  follow 
the  man  who  had  so  rudely  disturbed  his  slumbers,  but 
immediately  stretched  himself  by  the  other  fellow's  side 
again.  When  the  half-intoxicated  man  awoke,  it  was  to 
find  himself  with  a  strange  bedfellow,  and  when  he  rose 
and  walked  away,  the  lion  got  up  too,  and  accompanied 
him  for  several  miles  through  the  forest  showing  no  sign 
of  ferocity.  At  the  edge  of  the  forest  the  lion  turned  off 
and  went  his  own  way,  no  doubt  to  the  relief  of  the  man  ! 
No  little  trouble  was  caused  to  our  traveller  and  his 
attendants  sometimes  by  the  viciousness  of  the  native 
dogs  and  by  the  sulkiness  of  the  upland  farmers,  who 
seldom  made  any  attempt  to  restrain  them.  At  one 
place,  where  the  dogs  made  a  most  savage  onset  upon 
him,  he  had  to  get  a  supply  of  stones  to  throw  at  them, 
as  he  had  no  suitable  or  effective  whip.  His  legs  were  in 
far  more  danger  than  those  of  his  Arab  servants,  who 
always  rode,  not  with  legs  dangling  down,  but  tucked  up 
on  the  saddle.  It  was  all  the  traveller  coukl  do  to  keep 
himself  from  being  severely  bitten,  his  hanging  legs  proving 
an  irresistible  temptation  to  the  dogs.  Hardly  had  the 
party  got  clear  of  these  brutes,  when  they  were  bothered 
by  an  animal  of  quite  a  different  kind.  A  young  camel 
foal  darted  away  from  its  herd,  and  came  up  to  the  mule 
Mr.  Blakesley  was  riding,  evidently  bent  on  fun.  The 
mule  did  not  relish  the  fun,  however,  but  began  to  kick 

136 


ROBBERS  PLENTIFUL 

and  plunge  violently.  The  rider  shouted,  threw  stones, 
and  did  all  he  knew  to  drive  off  the  little  camel.  All  in 
vain;  the  animal  enjoyed  the  joke,  playing  about  till  it 
was  tired.  The  muleteers  were  obliged  to  jump  to  the 
oTound  and  seize  the  bridle  of  the  kicking  mule.  It  was 
all  they  could  do  to  prevent  the  animal  from  breaking 
away,  and  dashing  both  itself  and  its  rider  to  pieces. 
Luckily  the  troublesome  foal  ran  off  at  last,  and  the 
mule  quieted  down. 

In  a  country  which  had  not  long  been  under  settled  and 
civilized  rule,  and  whose  conformation,  moreover,  was  so 
favourable  to  brigandage,  the  roads  were  anything  but 
safe.  The  French  Government  kept  up  a  more  or  less 
active  inspection  of  the  chief  highways,  and  Mr.  Blakesley 
soon  found  out  that  he  was  in  luck  when  he  was  able  to 
spend  the  night  at  or  near  one  of  the  military  outposts. 
In  some  parts  the  Government  had  a  system  of  paying  the 
tribes  to  keep  watch  over  the  post-houses  where  travellers 
and  their  animals  were  in  the  habit  of  passing  the  night. 
Some  of  these  subsidized  natives,  however,  gave  more 
trouble  to  the  authorities  than  all  the  robbers  on  whom 
they  were  paid  to  keep  an  eye.  When  our  traveller  came 
across  a  gang  of  these  fellows,  he  found  them  sulky  and 
hostile  to  a  degree.  They  glared  at  him  with  horrid 
scowls,  and  would  neither  return  his  salutations  nor  accept 
his  offers  of  tobacco.  There  was  one  young  man,  however, 
who  was  particularly  attracted  by  the  sight  of  an  aneroid 
barometer.  He  got  up  to  look  at  it,  and  it  was  evident 
that  he  was  sorely  tempted  to  draw  the  yataghan  he 
carried  and  cut  down  the  possessor  of  the  instrument. 
Fortunately,  the  Englishman  was  accompanied  by  French 

137 


SWIFT  JUSTICE 

soldiers,  for  the  man  who  coveted  the  aneroid  was  the  most 
villainous-looking  fellow  he  had  ever  seen. 

An  incident  that  took  place  while  he  was  at  a  military 
station  near  the  Morocco  border  showed  the  rigour  of  the 
French  officers  in  repressing  crime.  A  Lieutenant  brought 
in  word  that  a  Frenchman  had  been  cruelly  murdered,  not 
far  away,  by  a  Morocco  robber.  The  Commandant  asked 
on  which  side  of  the  frontier  the  murder  was,  and  on  being 
told  that  the  fellow  was  on  French  ground,  he  remarked 
that  the  execution  would  take  place  that  evening.  There 
was  no  extradition  treaty  between  France  and  Morocco, 
and  it  was  the  custom  to  make  short  work  of  every 
Morocco  robber  caught  on  the  French  side  of  the  frontier. 
The  trial  of  the  criminal  was  short,  and  his  shrift  shorter. 
It  was  a  rough-and-ready  way  of  administering  justice,  but 
no  doubt  the  necessities  of  the  case  demanded  it.  Mr. 
Blakesley  observed  that  whenever  any  party  of  travellers 
in  that  district  was  seen  by  the  military  authorities,  a 
soldier  was  always  sent  out  to  keep  an  eye  on  them  till 
they  were  out  of  danger. 

Occasionally  the  Englishman  found  himself  without 
shelter  for  the  night,  an  awkward  predicament  in  a 
country  where  the  men  were  almost  as  wild  as  the  animals 
that  prowled  around.  Once,  after  a  march  of  thirteen 
hours,  he  reached  a  rest-house  late  at  night,  and  found  it 
closed  and  uninhabited,  so  far  as  could  be  seen.  Unable 
to  get  into  the  place  in  any  way,  he  moved  off  in  search  of 
other  shelter,  when  presently  he  was  attacked  by  a  pack  of 
ferocious  dogs.  He  beat  a  retreat,  and  was  settling  upon 
a  spot  in  which  to  bivouac,  his  mules  being  quite  unable 
to  go  a  mile  farther,  when  to  his  surprise  a  door  in  the 

138 


A  NIGHT  WITHOUT  SHELTER 

building  was  opened,  and  a  man  invited  him  in.  It  proved 
to  be  a  stable  with  a  sort  of  courtyard  in  the  middle. 
Here  the  belated  traveller  made  himself  a  fire  of  artichoke 
stalks,  and  squatted  down  on  a  mat  beside  it.  But  he  was 
half  dead  with  thirst,  and  famishing  besides.  He  could 
not  make  the  man  understand  his  needs  for  a  long  time, 
and  he  was  in  despair.  At  last  the  fellow  went  off,  and 
presently  reappeared  bringing  a  bowl  of  milk,  a  godsend. 
Somewhat  relieved,  the  Englishman  proceeded  to  make 
himself  comfortable  for  the  night,  but  he  determined 
to  keep  a  night-light  burning,  for  fear  of  evil  designs  on 
the  part  of  the  Arab,  of  whose  character,  of  course,  he 
knew  nothing.  Just  as  he  was  dropping  off  to  sleep, 
another  Arab  arrived,  and  informed  the  traveller  that  he 
had  been  sent  to  act  as  guide,  and  that  he  would  return  in 
the  morning  to  conduct  him  on  his  way.  Now  reassured, 
Mr.  Blakesley  and  his  muleteers  set  their  minds  at  ease 
and  slept  soundly.  Thus  a  night  which  had  begun  un- 
promisingly  ended  satisfactorily.  But  his  anxiety  had 
been  natural  enough,  for  the  muleteers  confessed  that  they 
were  utterly  ignorant  of  their  whereabouts,  and  of  the 
nature  of  the  country  and  the  character  of  the  people. 

In  one  place  his  party  disturbed  a  wild-boar  feeding  in 
a  cultivated  field.  He  was  an  enormous  animal — "the 
largest  I  ever  saw,  far  bigger  than  the  wild-boars  of 
Germany."  The  brute  did  not  show  fight,  as  the  lion 
usually  does  when  disturbed,  but  made  off  with  all 
speed  into  the  thicket  close  at  hand,  and  was  lost.  On 
another  occasion,  when  traversing  the  vilest  of  vile  roads 
on  the  hills  near  Tlem^en,  at  a  height  of  some  two 
thousand  feet,  his  coachman — it  was  a  coach-and-six  in 

139 


A  MAD  STEEPLE-CHASE 

which  the  Englishman  was  travelling — suddenly  left  the 
ruts  of  the  beaten  track  and  dashed  at  full  speed  into 
the  wastes  alongside.  Crashing  through  shrubs,  lurching 
over  various  inequalities  or  loose  obstacles,  floundering 
through  quagmires,  the  carriage  sped  on  its  way.  It  was 
a  marvel  how  woodwork,  wheels,  and  springs  held  together, 
over  miles  of  such  country.  At  length  appeared  in  front 
a  deep  ditch,  quite  a  yard  wide,  mtisked  by  a  pile  of 
stones.  To  the  traveller's  astonishment  and  alarm,  the 
leading  postboy  set  his  animals  straight  at  the  double 
obstruction.  The  two  leaders  cleared  heap  and  ditch, 
and  the  remaining  four  horses  followed  in  fine  style. 
The  coach  gave  at  each  obstacle  such  a  lurch  as  the 
traveller  had  never  before  felt.  The  marvel  was  that 
"the  machine  did  not  seem  to  suffer,  neither  was  the 
luggage  scattered  to  the  four  winds,  nor  the  coachman  shot 
into  infinite  space."  The  occupant  of  the  carriage,  how- 
ever, received  additions  to  the  many  bruises  he  had 
sustained  in  the  course  of  that  mad  steeplechase.  He 
supposed  this  style  of  charioteering  in  French  Africa  to 
have  been  induced  by  the  habit  of  driving  guns  about  in 
mad  headlong  fashion. 

He  was  fortunate  enough  to  see  a  good  deal  of  the  per- 
formances of  the  native  jugglers  and  magicians,  a  class  of 
men  very  common  in  Algiers  at  that  date,  more  especially 
in  the  remoter  and  less  civilized  districts.  One  remarkable 
series  of  performances  particularly  interested  him. 

The  proceedings  began  by  six  or  seven  fellows  taking 
their  seats  around  a  charcoal  fire.  From  time  to  time 
the  chief  performer  threw  a  handful  of  some  substance  into 
the  fire,  causing  a  puff^  of  smoke.     A  sort  of  tambourine 

140 


JUGGLERS  AND  MAGICIANS 

was  beaten  with  the  knuckles  the  while.  At  length  a 
young  man  of  the  party  rose  from  the  ground,  threw  down 
his  instrument,  and  then  bending  over  the  fire,  proceeded 
to  sway  his  body  violently  backward  and  forward.  In 
time  he  became  as  if  possessed,  and  danced  frantically 
about,  giving  vent  to  hideous  howls.  The  performance 
now  began.  First  a  red-hot  shovel  was  held  to  the 
young  man,  and  this  he  took  with  another  yell  and  placed 
on  his  arms.  Then  he  began  to  lick  the  implement 
with  his  tongue,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  the  taste  of  the 
burning  metal.  A  leaf  from  a  prickly-pear  was  next 
thrown  to  him,  and  this  he  picked  up  with  his  mouth  from 
the  ground,  and  ate  a  portion  of  it. 

Other  tricks  followed  which  the  English  spectator 
found  disagreeable,  if  not  disgusting.  The  juggler 
apparently  pulled  his  eye  entirely  out  of  its  socket,  a 
feat  which  the  natives  evidently  thought  a  masterpiece, 
for  a  special  collection  was  made  on  behalf  of  the  man. 
After  this  the  fellow  proceeded  to  thrust  an  iron  rod  into 
his  body,  bringing  the  point  out  at  the  other  side,  and 
feigning  all  the  while  to  be  suffering  the  most  exquisite 
torture.  The  stranger  watched  these  performances  narrowly, 
and  in  both  cases  perceived  how  the  trick  was  done, 
though  he  was  far  too  wise  to  say  anything  on  the  point, 
amidst  a  crowd  of  ardent  believers.  But  he  noted  that  on 
the  occasion  of  another  exhibition  of  a  similar  kind,  a 
little  later  on,  the  moment  he  put  his  head  inside  the 
place  the  performer  stopped.  The  black  looks  of  the 
audience,  and  the  one  eye  half  closed — the  sure  sign  of 
anger  amongst  the  Arabs — convinced  him  that  it  would  be 
better  for  his  own  safety  to  beat  an  immediate  retreat. 

Ul 


WANT  OF  FAITH 

At  another  place  he  was  promised  a  show  by  a  man  who, 
in  a  fit  of  possession,  would  eat  serpents  and  scorpions  alive ; 
but  this  performance  the  Englishman  was  fated  to  miss, 
the  magician  being  temporarily  absent  from  home.  It 
was  perhaps  as  well,  for  the  stranger's  evident  want  of 
faith  irritated  the  Morocco  Arabs  among  whom  he  was 
staying,  and  they  are  the  most  savage  and  unscrupulous  of 
their  race. 


U2 


CHAPTER  XII 

SPORT    BEYOND   THE   SASKATCHEWAN 

Sportsmen,  and  the  mountains  of  the  Canadian  Dominion — The  Earl 
of  Southesk,  explorer  and  naturalist — Magnificent  scenery — An 
Indian  baby  ill — An  informal  doctor — Mountain  sheep — A  clean 
miss — Rolling  boulders  down  the  mountain-side — More  sheep — 
Wonderful  feats  with  an  old  flint  rifle — A  "  dead  "  sheep  suddenly 
bolts — The  dog  and  the  porcupine— Search  for  grizzlies — How  to 
manage  a  grizzly  bear — The  puma  and  its  dangerous  character — 
A  puma  up  a  tree — A  very  dangerous  slope — Critical  position  of 
the  nobleman — Hunt  after  a  ram — Firing  from  a  very  risky 
spot — The  dead  body  of  the  ram  drops  upon  the  dog — Anotlier 
grizzly  scare — A  dangerous  climb — "On  either  side  was  a  tre- 
mendous precijiice" — Thoroughly  beaten — A  climb  after  a  for- 
gotten rifle— The  Earl  belated — A  miserable  and  dangerous 
walk  home  through  the  woods — Travelling  becomes  harder — 
A  stiff  ascent  covered  with  big  rocks — Horses  dragged  up  a 
precipice  with  ropes — A  fell  amongst  the  kettles  and  pots — 
Tent  falls  upon  its  sleeping  occupant — The  terrors  of  the  pine- 
woods — Nothing  like  leather — The  Earl  christens  a  mountain 
and  cairn  after  himself. 

How  many  sportsmen  have  been  attracted  by  the  boundless 
breadths  of  prairie  and  forest,  by  the  wealth  of  river  and 
of  mountain  peak,  included  within  the  vast  area  of  the 
Canadian  Dominion,  it  would  be  hard  to  say.  And  not 
only  sportsmen  pure  and  simple,  but  the  geographer,  the 
naturalist,  the  searcher  after  excitement  and  adventure — 
all  have  been  drawn  Westward.     Amongst  the  band  was 

143 


MAGNIFICENT  SCENERY 

the  Earl  of  Southesk,  who,  in  the  years  1859  and  1860, 
roamed  over  much  of  the  upper  portions  of  the  great 
North  American  continent.  The  noble  traveller  was 
explorer,  naturalist,  and  geographer  primarily,  but  his 
taste  for  outdoor  life  and  the  necessity  of  providing  suffi- 
cient food  on  his  journeys  made  him  an  accomplished 
sportsman,  too. 

We  may  join  him  at  that  part  of  his  tour  when  he  was 
close  upon  the  stupendous  range  of  the  Rockies.  AVith 
wonder  and  with  awe  he  gazed  on  the  marvels  around  him, 
and  again  and  again  he  breaks  out  into  expressions  of 
delight. 

"  We  continued  our  march  up  the  river  amidst  scenery 
of  surpassing  magnificence.  .  .  .  On  the  right  there  is  a 
far  higher  wall  of  rock,  which  is  broken  by  a  succession  of 
glorious  peaks,  while  lower  precipitous  spurs,  divided  by 
deep  rocky  glens,  run  outwards  to  the  river.  .  .  .  The 
strata  whirl  in  such  curious  fashion  that  far-spreading 
spaces  look  like  vast  stores  of  petrified  trees  upheaved  in 
the  ruin  of  a  dismantled  world." 

The  explorer  had  met  with  many  curious  adventures  on 
his  long  journey  across  the  continent,  but  his  entrance 
upon  the  mountain  districts  brought  him  one  of  a  different 
kind.  One  of  the  Indian  babies  was  taken  seriously  ill. 
The  mother  was  crying  bitterly,  the  father  also  weeping. 
They  begged  the  Earl  to  take  up  the  case  of  the  child,  and 
relieve  its  sufferings.  He  hesitated,  and  not  unnaturally, 
for  if  the  child  should  die  on  his  hands,  its  death  would  to 
a  certainty  be  charged  to  him — a  very  undesirable  thing 
anywhere  and  at  any  time,  but  ten  times  more  so  in  his 
situation.    Yet  he  was  evidently  expected  to  do  something ; 

144 


AN  INFORMAL  DOCTOR 

and,  besides,  his  own  kindness  of  heart  prompted  him  to 
help  the  miserable  family  if  possible.  His  resolution  was 
taken,  be  the  consequences  what  they  might.  He  ordered 
the  baby  to  be  Avrapped  in  many  blankets,  for  it  had  been 
almost  naked  hitherto ;  he  had  the  futile  bit  of  fire  made 
into  a  good  rousing  blaze  ;  and  he  caused  his  men  to  make 
some  hot  tea.  "  I  then  directed  the  mother  to  hold  her 
baby  close  to  the  fire,  and  pour  tea  down  its  throat,  as 
much  as  it  could  be  made  to  swallow.  With  perfect  con- 
fidence in  my  skill,  she  took  a  spoon  and  began  the  feeding 
process,  which  so  greatly  disgusted  the  child  that  it 
struggled  and  screamed,  and  rejected  the  tea,  till,  between 
its  own  efforts  and  the  heat  of  the  blazing  logs,  a  little 
moisture  began  to  appear.  Telling  them  to  keep  the 
baby  warm,  as  they  valued  its  life,  I  left  them  and  returned 
to  my  tent,  and  next  morning  had  the  happiness  of  hear- 
ing that  the  treatment  had  been  a  complete  success."" 

The  leader  had  always  on  his  mind  the  problem  of  feed- 
ing his  followers,  and  consequently,  when  he  found  himself 
in  a  district  abounding  in  wild  sheep,  the  opportunity  was 
not  to  be  lost.  But  it  was  a  risky  business  at  times,  get- 
ting at  those  sheep.  His  very  first  attempt  led  him  along 
a  mountain-side,  on  tracks  that  he  would  have  thought 
nothing  but  a  goat  could  follow.  A  sheep  was  observed  high 
up  on  the  crags,  and  a  stiff  climb  it  was  to  get  up  to  the 
spot.  The  latter  part  of  the  distance  had  to  be  done  on 
hands  and  knees,  over  sharp  rocks  that  cut  like  a  knife. 
With  all  his  efibrts  the  sportsman  could  gain  no  point 
nearer  than  a  hundred  and  twenty  yards  away.  He  risked 
his  shot,  and  had  the  mortification  to  make  a  clean  miss  of 
it.     He  and  his  men  were  bent  on  having  fun  of  some 

U5  K 


FEATS  WITH  AN  OLD  RIFLE 

kind,  however,  on  their  elevated  perch,  and  nothing- 
better  presented  itself  than  rolling  big  stones  down  the 
steep.  Down  went  the  boulders,  crashing  into  the  groves 
of  fir-trees  far  below,  and  snapping  off'  the  younger  among 
them  like  twigs.  This  amusement  was  a  huge  delight  to 
all  the  men,  of  whatever  age,  belonging  to  the  Earl's 
party. 

Fortunately  for  the  larder,  the  hunt  after  the  mountain 
sheep  was  not  always  so  unprofitable.  Not  long  after,  the 
Earl  shot  a  ram  and  an  old  ewe,  also  wounding  another 
sheep,  which  one  of  his  servants  at  once  finished  with  his 
old  flint  rifle — "  a  most  extraordinary  little  implement,  so 
short  and  small,  so  bound  up  and  mended  with  leather 
and  brass-headed  tacks,  and  altogether  so  worn  and 
weather-beaten,  as  to  look  like  some  curious  antique  toy." 
Antoine,  with  his  old-fashioned  gun,  and  his  master,  with 
a  more  modern  and  effective  weapon,  next  dashed  down  to 
the  bottom  of  a  deep  ravine  where  more  sheep  were  espied. 
The  Earl  arrived  so  blown  that  he  missed  with  both 
barrels.  He  had  time  to  reload,  the  animals  being  con- 
fused, and  soon  two  or  three  dropped  to  his  gun,  Antoine 
also  bringing  down  a  couple.  The  two  men  then  began 
to  skin  the  carcasses,  when,  just  as  they  were  about  to  lay 
hands  on  the  first  of  the  sheep  they  had  shot,  to 
their  stupefaction  the  beast  suddenly  sprang  up  and  dis- 
appeared up  the  mountain-side  at  lightning  speed.  Others 
of  the  exploring  party  had  had  a  run  of  luck  also,  and  the 
day's  stalk  produced  a  heavy  bag  altogether. 

One  of  the  dogs  had  a  curious  experience  about  this 
time.  He  had  scented  a  porcupine,  and  had  followed  and 
seized  it ;  but  he  got  more  than  he  bargained  for,  for  his 

146 


FACTS  ABOUT  GRIZZLIES 

mouth  was  stuck  through  with  quills,  and  he  presented  a 
funny  and  an  unhappy  spectacle.  Some  of  the  quills 
were  so  firmly  fixed  in  the  dog's  cheeks  that  they 
could  hardly  be  drawn  out  again.  According  to  the 
accounts  of  the  hunters,  the  porcupine  has  its  quills 
very  loosely  inserted  in  its  body,  so  that  the  slightest 
touch  will  bring  them  out,  if,  indeed,  the  animal  cannot  shed 
them  at  will.  The  Indians  have  to  be  very  careful  to  rid 
their  dogs  of  the  quills  they  have  got  stuck  into  their 
mouths  during  encounters  with  the  porcupine,  or  the  dog 
dies. 

Lord  Southesk  was  longing  to  come  across  a  grizzly  bear. 
At  length  a  man  of  his  company  saw  one  in  a  valley 
whither  he  had  gone  after  rams,  and  he  reported  the 
circumstance  as  soon  as  he  reached  the  camp.  The  bear 
and  the  hunter  had  looked  at  each  other,  but  neither  had 
cared  to  show  fight,  and  they  had  parted  company.  The 
master  was  at  first  disposed  to  blame  his  servant,  but  a 
little  reflection  showed  him  that  even  a  man  with  a  double- 
barrelled  gun  would  be  unwise  to  attack  a  huge  grizzly,  if 
he  were  alone  and  at  a  distance  from  all  help,  in  case  of 
mishaps.  An  animal  like  the  grizzly  bear,  so  savage,  so 
strong,  and  so  hard  to  kill,  had  better  be  left  alone,  unless 
the  hunter  has  well-armed  supporters  near.  Respecting 
the  habits  of  the  grizzly,  the  Earl  learnt  some  curious  facts 
from  his  men.  It  appeared  that  when  a  bear  spied  a 
man  he  would  make  a  halt  at  a  distance  of  about  a 
hundred  yards  away,  rear  himself  on  his  haunches,  and 
give  a  look  around.  After  this  he  would  either  at  once 
decamp,  or  make  straight  for  the  man.  In  the  latter  case 
Eruin  would  stop  again  at  thirty  yards'  distance,  stand 

147 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  PUMA 

upriglit,  and  reconnoitre  as  before.  A  final  stand  was 
made  at  ten  yards'  distance  before  the  brute  flung  himself 
upon  the  man.  Now  was  the  hunter's  time,  if  only  he  had 
the  wisdom  and  the  nerve  to  stand  so  long  and  await  the 
chance.  At  this  last  uprising,  at  such  close  quarters,  the 
grizzly  must  be  met  by  a  well-aimed  bullet,  or  the  man's 
doom  was  sealed.  Woe  betide  the  hunter  if  his  first 
ball  did  not  carry  instantaneous  death  with  it. 

A  more  savage  and  dangerous  beast  than  even  the  bear 
was  said  to  be  found  in  places  among  the  Rockies — the  puma. 
He  can  climb  a  tall  tree  with  the  agility  and  quickness  of 
a  cat — a  feat  the  grizzly  is  unable  to  imitate.  More- 
over, the  puma  is  the  slyest  of  beasts,  and  hunts  its  prey  in 
the  night  as  well  as  during  the  hours  of  daylight.  It  will 
mark  out  a  little  party  of  men,  and  will  follow  them 
secretly  but  closely  for  days,  always  on  the  look-out  in 
case  one  of  the  number  should  separate  himself  from  his 
mates.  "  When  all  is  dark  and  silent  the  insidious  puma 
glides  in,  and  the  sleeper  knows  but  short  awakening  when 
its  fangs  are  buried  in  his  throat."  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  man  kills  the  puma,  he  has  a  treat  in  store,  the  flesh 
being  esteemed  a  great  delicacy.  The  Earl  was  not  lucky 
enough  to  come  across  one  of  the  creatures ;  not  even  the 
track  of  one  was  perceived.  But  two  of  his  men  had,  not 
long  before,  while  attached  to  another  exploring  party, 
perceived  a  puma  up  a  tree.  They  had  at  once  fired  at  it, 
not  stopping,  however,  to  see  the  effect  of  the  shots,  but 
bolting  away  at  full  speed.  "They  never  felt  inclined  to 
go  back  to  claim  their  trophy,  which  they  most  shrewdly 
suspected  might  have  claimed  them,  for  while  the  death  of 
the  enemy  was  doubtful,  its  indignation,  if  alive,  was  not." 

148 


A  CRITICAL  POSITION 

The  climbs  after  game  of  one  sort  or  another,  mainly 
sheep  and  goats,  brought  constant  excitement  to  the 
hunters.  The  risks  they  ran,  always  considerable,  were 
sometimes  frightful.  The  Earl  himself  had  more  than 
one  such.  He  was  following  a  wounded  sheep  along  a 
hill-side,  when  he  suddenly  found  himself  in  a  dangerous 
position.  The  steep  slope  was  loose,  consisting  of  pebbles 
and  small  fragments  of  rock.  The  stuiF  gave  way  at 
every  step  the  hunter  took,  and  of  course  carried  him 
along  with  it.  Down  he  was  travelling,  almost  helpless  to 
arrest  his  course.  Below  him  were  depths  of  the  most 
frightful  character.  A  little  more  of  this  slipping,  and  he 
would  be  hurled  into  the  abyss.  Even  to  stand  still  was 
death,  for  the  loose  shingle  would  have  soon  borne  him 
over  the  edge  of  the  precipice  beneath.  His  dog,  whining 
in  terror,  stood  its  ground  with  the  utmost  difficulty, 
showering  down  into  its  master's  face  stones  and  sand  in 
its  efforts.  The  situation  was  critical  indeed.  But  the 
love  of  life  was  strong,  and  the  Earl  made  renewed  and 
most  desperate  struggles,  placing  his  rifle  along  the  ground 
wherever  there  was  the  least  firm  projection  to  support  it. 
Dragging  himself  inch  by  inch,  but  almost  without  hope 
of  ever  escaping,  the  Earl  at  last  gained  solid  ground,  to 
his  intense  relief — and  with  a  lively  sense  of  gratitude  to 
Providence,  he  tells  us. 

Meanwhile  the  ram  he  was  after  had  placed  himself  in  a 
position  awkward  to  reach.  But  the  hunter  went  after 
him,  choosing  what  appeared  to  be  the  safest  path,  and 
gained  a  little  ledge  of  sloping  grass.  Above  him,  on  the 
top  of  a  rock-face  about  thirty  feet  in  height,  stood  the 
animal ;  below  the  sportsman  dropped  away  a  perpendicular 

149 


HUNT  AFTER  A  RAM 

precipice  of  awful  depth — down  to  the  very  roots  of  the 
mountain  itself,  in  fact.  Here  he  took  aim,  the  ram 
exactly  above  him.  He  missed,  and  the  animal  moved 
away  for  a  moment.  Then  returning  to  his  former 
position,  the  ram  gazed  down  at  his  aggressor.  The 
second  ball  brought  the  poor  brute  flying  from  the  cliffs 
edge  into  empty  air.  It  fell  with  a  crash  on  the  little 
grassy  ledge,  almost  crushing  the  dog.  The  master  had 
dodged  the  falling  body.  In  his  death  struggles  the  ram 
would  have  been  over  the  precipice  and  lost  for  ever,  had 
not  the  hunter  seized  him  by  the  hind-leg  and  held  on  till 
all  was  over.  Even  when  the  animal  was  dead  his  body 
would  not  rest  on  the  steep  slope,  but  had  to  be  propped 
up  with  stones  till  it  could  be  fetched  away  by  the 
servants. 

There  was  another  report  of  a  grizzly  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, and  the  Earl  went  off  to  search  for  the  animal.  Up 
hill  and  down  dale  the  men  wandered,  but  all  in  vain ;  he 
was  once  more  doomed  to  disappointment.  He  deter- 
mined, however,  to  climb  to  the  highest  part  of  the  range 
within  sight,  in  order  that  he  might  get  a  view  of  what 
was  beyond,  and  gain  some  information  as  to  the  general 
plan  of  mountain  and  valley  in  the  neighbourhood.  It 
was  a  particularly  toilsome  climb,  the  many  rock  walls 
jutting  out  from  the  ridge  causing  endless  trouble.  There 
was  much  snow  on  the  higher  portions  of  the  crest.  By 
dint  of  great  exertion  the  Earl  got  himself  close  to  the 
foot  of  the  main  cliff",  not  far  from  the  top  of  the  mountain. 
There,  to  his  vexation,  he  was  brought  to  an  abrupt  stop 
by  a  most  difficult  bit  of  rock.  It  was  of  no  great  height, 
but  it  stood  just  in  the  way,  where  the  sharp  ridge  was  at 

150 


A  Dangerous  Momkni 

Standing  on  the  sloping  little  grassy  ledge,  Lord  Southesk  shot  at  the  ram  exactly 
above  him,  and  hit  it.  It  came  tumbling  over,  and  the  hunter  had  to  dodge  the  flying 
mass,  and  later  to  seize  it  so  as  to  prevent  its  falling  over  the  precipice. 


THOROUGHLY  BEATEN 

its  narrowest.  On  either  side  was  a  tremendous  precipice 
covered  with  layers  of  ice.  Twice  he  tried  to  scramble  up 
this  formidable  obstacle,  but  it  was  quite  impassable.  He 
stood  to  consider  whether  he  could  in  any  way  work  round 
the  rock,  but  he  wisely  decided  to  leave  it  alone ;  at  the 
best  it  would  be  exceedingly  difficult,  and  in  case  he 
should  have  the  smallest  slip,  his  destruction  was  certain  ; 
moreover,  there  was  an  even  Morse  place  farther  on.  He 
had  to  own  himself  beaten,  and  scramble  down  again.  He 
was  intensely  disappointed  not  to  have  gained  the  summit 
and  a  view  of  what  was  beyond,  but  there  was  no  help 
for  it. 

He  had  not  yet  done  with  this  mountain-flank ;  when 
half-way  down,  he  discovered  that  he  had  left  his  rifle  up 
above.  A  second  long  and  fatiguing  climb,  on  the  top  of 
his  former  exertions,  was  no  light  matter,  but  it  had  to  be 
done.  The  result  of  it  all  was  that  night  came  on  before 
the  climber  had  reached  the  bottom  again.  He  was  at 
least  four  or  five  miles  from  the  camp ;  he  was  alone ; 
there  was  no  track  ;  the  darkness  was  deej) ;  he  was  dog- 
tired.  It  was  a  disagreeable  prospect  that  was  before  him, 
to  say  the  least  of  it.  Through  dark,  sombre  woods  he 
plunged  on,  over  clift'  and  torrent,  scrambling  or  tumbling 
over  fallen  trunks,  and  forcing  his  way  in  places  through 
a  thick  undergrowth  of  scrub.  Besides,  he  was  in  the 
very  haunt  of  the  gi-izzly,  and  he  might  at  any  moment 
find  himself  confronted  by  one  of  these  formidable  brutes. 
And  even  though  the  moon  presently  arose,  the,  darkness 
in  the  dense  spruce-thickets  would  have  given  him  a  poor 
chance  of  using  his  gun  effectively  against  a  bear,  had  one 
come  his  way.     He  fired  off  his  rifle  repeatedly,  to  attract 

151 


TRAVELLING  BECOMES  HARDER 

the  attention  of  his  companions  at  the  camp,  but  the 
sound  echoed  and  re-echoed  among  the  mountains  in  such 
a  way  that  it  could  be  no  guide  to  anybody.  Dead-beaten, 
the  sportsman  dragged  himself  along,  till,  a  mile  from 
home,  he  was  delighted  to  fall  in  with  a  little  search-party, 
who  had  become  alarmed  at  his  absence.  To  mount  a 
horse  and  ride  the  remainder  of  the  distance  was  a  luxury 
indeed. 

The  travelling  became  harder  as  the  mountains  grew 
wilder.  At  one  place  it  was  only  by  some  very  clever 
manoeuvring  that  a  way  forward  was  found  at  all.  It  was 
in  this  wise.  First  came  an  exceedingly  steep  slope, 
of  itself  formidable  enough.  But  this  particular  steep 
was  thickly  strewn  with  great  boulders,  on  an  average  of 
the  size  of  a  cart,  the  explorer  informs  us,  and  near  one 
another.  Between  the  blocks  were  deep  holes — of  course, 
except  in  the  few  instances  where  smaller  stuff  rolling 
down  the  mountain  had  filled  up  the  hollow  spaces.  How 
the  servants  of  the  expedition  got  the  horses  up  this  ugly 
bank  the  Earl  could  not  tell ;  he  was  himself  at  a  distance 
at  the  time,  shooting  ptarmigan.  But  a  worse  bit  of 
going  now  presented  itself:  "  at  the  summit  was  a  nearly 
perpendicular  wall  of  hard-frozen  snow,  about  twenty  feet 
high.  Steps  were  cut,  and  the  horses  dragged  up  with 
ropes.  They  ascended  without  accident,  except  Blond, 
M'ho  slipped  on  a  sheet  of  ice  just  as  he  got  to  the  top, 
and  fell  to  the  bottom,  crushing  our  pots  and  kettles,  but 
damaging  himself  very  little,  as  his  packs  saved  him. 
Rowland  positively  refused  to  go  up,  so  he  was  taken  a 
long  way  round,  and  the  men  carried  his  packs  up  the  icy 
stair.  ...      It   was  an   almost   incredible   feat,   though 

152 


A  TREMENDOUS  GALE 

perhaps  less  really  wonderful  than  the  previous  ascent  of 
the  hill  among  the  separated  blocks  of  stone."" 

Of  storms  the  travellers  had  their  full  share — wind, 
rain,  snow,  thunder,  and  lightning.  On  one  occasion 
a  tremendous  gale  sprang  up  from  the  north-west,  and 
bore  down  upon  them  with  incredible  fury.  The  camp 
happened  to  be  in  a  very  exposed  situation,  being  high  up 
and  without  shelter  of  any  sort.  The  EarPs  tent  was 
under  a  severe  strain  all  the  time,  and  at  length  the  centre- 
pole  snapped,  and  the  whole  thing  fell  down  upon  the 
body  of  the  sleeper.  It  was  useless  to  attempt  to  set  up 
the  tent  again  in  such  a  hurricane,  and  he  was  "  doomed 
to  pass  a  most  uncomfortable  night,  feeling  much  as  if 
beneath  a  gigantic  fan,  as  the  canvas  flapped  to  and  fro, 
and  drove  eddies  of  air  through  every  covering  I  could 
devise." 

A  very  tiresome  thing  to  contend  with  on  the  march 
was  the  presence  of  fallen,  splintered,  or  broken  trees. 
The  devastating  storms  often  laid  a  considerable  portion 
of  a  wood  more  or  less  prostrate.  The  horses  were,  as  a 
consequence,  kept  constantly  jumping,  the  obstacles  being 
too  large  to  be  stepped  over.  Then,  while  the  larger  trees 
often  tear  the  animals,  the  smaller  ones,  pointing  in  every 
direction,  run  full  tilt  at  both  man  and  beast,  and  the 
rider's  legs,  as  well  as  the  horse's  chest,  come  in  for  hard 
usage,  the  broken  branches  piercing  like  spears.  The 
Earl,  luckily  for  himself,  had  a  suit  of  stout  leather,  and 
he  found  that  nothing  but  leather  was  an  effective  defence 
against  the  lance-like  attacks  directed  upon  his  person. 
Even  then  his  head  was  sometimes  "  artistically  aimed  at,"" 
and  his  beaver  cap  was  sent  spinning,  if,  indeed,  the  rider 

153 


A  WELL-DESERVED  HONOUR 

were   not  jerked  bodily  off"  his  beast,  like  an  unhorsed 
knight  of  old. 

The  Earl  ascended  a  peak  amongst  the  Rockies  that  had 
never  before  been  visited  by  a  white  man.  He  and  his 
companions  built  there  a  big  cairn  of  stones.  The  peak, 
my  lord,  with  pardonable  pride,  ventured  to  christen  after 
his  own  name,  and  so  Southesk  Mount  and  Southesk  Cairn 
figure  on  the  maps.  He  well  deserved  the  modest  honour 
he  did  himself. 

[From  *'  Saskatchewan  and  the  Rocky  Mountains,'^  by  the  late 
P^arl  of  Southesk.  Ednionston  and  Douglas,  Edinburgh.  By  kind 
permission  of  the  Earl  of  Southesk.] 


164 


CHAPTER  XIII 

ADVENTURES    IN   THE    HIMALAYAS 

Dr.  W.  H.  Russell,  the  famous  Times  correspondent — In  India 
after  the  Mutiny — Joins  an  expedition  into  the  mountains — 
The  start  from  Simla — A  marvellous  country — A  fearful  road 
— A  wooden  bridge  with  the  pins  taken  out — Alinaul-shooting 
How  to  get  up  the  steeps — A  terrific  descent — "  Approaching 
the  antipodes  " — A  festival  in  honour  of  a  local  idol — A  pitiful 
spectacle — Camping  out  on  a  mountain  ledge — Extraordinary 
storm — Capture  of  runaway  mutineers — A  comet  causes  the 
natives  intense  alarm — Severe  rebuke  to  a  Rajah — A  fruitless 
bear-hunt — Leopard  and  musk-deer — A  Himalaya  hunter's  life 
a  dangerous  one — Lord  William  Hay  and  the  snake — Awful 
precipices  to  be  skirted  by  the  sportsmen — Another  bear-hunt 
—This  time  in  a  wood  full  of  deadly  snakes — Babies  sleeping 
under  waterfalls — Russell's  visit  to  a  Rajah — Balancing  on  the 
back  of  a  fidgety  elephant — A  desperate  leap — Alights  on  the 
Prince's  toes — An  aifable  potentate — Something  like  a  present ! 

Dr.  William  Howard  Russell,  the  war-correspondent  of 
the  Times  newspaper,  whose  graphic  accounts  of  the 
Crimean  and  Indian  Mutiny  campaigns  made  his  name 
famous,  was  a  remarkable  man  in  many  ways,  not  less 
gallant  and  enterprising  than  the  very  best  of  the  brave 
soldiers  whose  deeds  he  narrated.  Towards  the  close  of 
the  Mutiny  he  joined  a  number  of  officers  in  an  expedition 
among  the  Himalayas,  and  he  has  described  in  his  vivid 
way  his  adventures  in  that  marvellous  region. 

165 


START  FROM  SIMLA 

The  expedition  started  from  Simla,  away  among  the 
highlands  of  North- Western  India,  and  a  number  of  dis- 
tinguished military  men  took  part  in  it,  the  leader  being 
Lord  William  Hay.  There  was  administrative  work  to  be 
done,  and  the  political  side  was  not  wanting,  for  it  was 
proposed  to  visit  certain  Rajahs  on  the  way,  especially  the 
Rajah  of  Bussahir ;  but  the  officers  hoped  also  to  enjoy  a 
little  rest  and  sport  after  arduous  military  duties. 

The  party  travelled  from  Simla  by  the  wonderful  road 
which  leads  towards  the  Himalayas  and  Thibet.  At 
intervals  of  about  a  day's  journey  there  were  rest-houses, 
usually  styled  bungalows,  erected  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment for  the  use  of  travellers.  This  road  Russell  calls  one 
of  the  most  splendid  works  in  the  world,  and  he  says  that, 
in  the  course  of  time,  when  the  railways  shall  have  made 
the  district  more  accessible,  he  will  be  much  surprised  "  if 
English  tourists  do  not  wander  forth  through  the  grand 
passes  of  the  Himalayas,  which  dwarf  the  Alps  to  nothing- 
ness, which  abound  in  game,  and  are  full  of  novelty  and 
fresh  views  of  life."  It  was  a  relief  indeed,  he  tells  us,  to 
get  away  from  Simla,  "  to  wind  along  this  charming  road, 
screened  by  the  shadows  of  the  pines,  and  to  gaze,  as  I 
rode,  on  the  ever-varying  landscape  right  away  to  the 
distant  mountains,  where  the  darkening  undulations  show 
the  course  of  the  Sutlej,  thousands  of  feet  below.'' 

At  Tioge  Lord  William  Hay  was  occupied  for  some 
time  in  settling  boundary  disputes,  and  dispatching  similar 
business  among  the  hill-folk,  and  the  rest  of  the  officers 
went  on  in  advance  of  him.  They  rode  ponies,  and  got 
along  well  enough  for  a  time.  Then  the  road  became  so 
dangerous  that  they  had  to  dismount,  "as  a  false  step 

156 


A  FEARFUL  ROAD 

would  have  been  the  certain  cause  of  a  projection  of  many 
hundred  feet  into  gaping  ravines,  filled  with  jagged  cliffs 
and  distorted  strata."  The  road  was  a  strange  piece 
of  work,  here  tunnelling  through  shoulders  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  there  carried  over  or  alongside  sheer  precipices 
by  means  of  stout  beams  of  wood  fastened  into  the  roci<s. 
At  one  spot  the  party  ran  a  frightful  risk,  as  it  afterwards 
appeared.  They  had  just  crossed  a  platform  or  bridge, 
hanging  over  a  tremendous  precipice,  when  it  was  dis- 
covered that  many  of  the  iron  pins  holding  the  bridge 
together  had  disappeared.  They  had  been  taken  out  by 
the  natives  of  the  locality  for  the  sake  of  the  iron  ! 

The  officers  had  a  notable  day  among  the  game  at  an 
elevation  of  between  eight  and  nine  thousand  feet.  A 
number  of  them  scrambled  up  the  hill-sides,  taking  with 
them  a  hundred  and  fifty  coolies  as  beaters,  whilst  others 
remained  below,  at  various  points  in  the  dells,  to  bag  such 
birds  as  came  that  way.  It  was  an  animated  and  a  noisy 
scene,  the  movements  of  the  sportsmen  and  the  yells  of 
the  beaters  echoing  among  the  mountains,  giving  life  to 
the  spectacle.  The  bird  found  in  greatest  numbers  was 
the  minaul,  and  so  rapid  were  its  movements,  that  the 
men  might  as  well  have  tried  to  shoot  a  flash  of  lightning, 
Russell  tells  us,  as  to  hit  a  minaul.  These  birds  had  a 
singular  knack  of  dropping  like  plummets  down  to  the 
bottom  of  the  valleys,  whence,  when  all  was  quiet  once 
more,  they  would  run  up  the  hill  to  the  top  again  at  great 
speed.  A  brace  or  two  fell  to  the  guns,  and  Dr.  Russell 
himself  went  far  down  into  the  ravines  below  and  picked 
up  a  few  of  the  birds.  But  so  steep  were  the  slopes,  that, 
in  ascending  again,  he  was  glad  of  the  help  of  a  couple  of 

157 


A  TERRIFIC  DESCENT 

coolies,  who  took  each  an  arm,  and  hoisted  him  up  in  fine 
style.  This  kind  of  thing  was  considered  quite  permissible 
in  the  Himalayas,  and  the  natives  were  remarkably  sure- 
footed— far  more  so  than  even  the  Alpine  guides.  What 
was  more,  they  seemed  never  to  suffer  from  shortness  of 
breath,  no  matter  what  the  elevation  of  the  mountain,  or 
what  the  steepness  of  the  ascent. 

Russell  confesses  that  the  descent  in  one  place,  down  to 
a  mountain  lodge  of  the  Rajah's,  scared  him — at  any  rate  at 
the  start,  his  feelings  when  called  upon  to  take  the  down- 
ward path  being,  as  he  supposed,  something  like  those  of 
a  young  sparrow  when  required  for  the  first  time  to  take 
a  drop  from  the  giddy  heights  of  the  water-spout  down  to 
the  street  below.  But  he  had  his  native  helpers,  and  he 
had  his  alpenstock,  "  And  thus,  with  an  able-bodied 
aborigen  holding  on  by  my  tunic-tails  behind,  and  Khoom 
Dass  and  his  nephew  acting  as  a  locomotive  stair-steps 
below,  I  parachuted  down,  down,  and  ever  down — knee- 
deep  in  flowers,  thigh-deep  in  rich  clover,  underwood,  grass, 
and  corn,  here  forced  up  a  stile,  there  dropped  down  a 
little  cataract,  till  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  was  approaching 
the  ;intipodes.  Khoom  Dass  had  no  perceptible  difficulty 
with  his  respiratory  apparatus,  and  descended  like  a  snow- 
ball ;  and  I  am  afraid  that  several  times  I  should  not  have 
been  displeased  if  he  had  slightly  sprained  his  ankle,  or  had 
fallen  on  his  respectable  Roman  nose." 

When  Dr.  Russell  and  his  friends  "parachuted"  down 
that  alarming  slope,  they  were  bound  on  a  curious  errand, 
no  less  than  that  of  witnessing  a  great  festival  that  was  to 
be  held  in  honour  of  a  local  god.  The  visitors  were  not 
yet  at  the  spot,  however,  for  the  idol  stood  on  the  top  of  a 

158 


A  PITIFUL  SPECTACLE 

steep-sided  and  cone-shaped  hill  that  rose  from  the  middle 
of  the  valley.  It  required  all  Khoom  Dass's  sprightly 
activity  to  get  the  weighty  war-correspondent  up  to  the 
rendezvous.  When  the  Englishmen  arrived  at  the  place 
they  were  received  with  great  acclamations  by  the  big 
crowd  of  worshippers,  and  they  were  given  a  place  of  dis- 
tinguished honour — a  seat  on  the  Rajah''s  carpet.  The 
image  itself  was  a  frightfully  hideous  thing,  with  seven 
heads  of  metal,  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  lozenge.  Enor- 
mous lengths  of  hair  hung  down  all  round,  and  concealed 
the  lower  parts  of  the  idol,  as  well  as  the  men  who  bore  it 
about  the  assembly.  When  the  thing  was  brought  before 
the  Rajah  himself,  that  great  ruler  bowed,  to  satisfy  his 
people  who  stood  around,  but  he  had  much  difficulty, 
Russell  thought,  in  keeping  his  countenance  through  the 
ceremony. 

It  happened  sometimes  that  the  party  did  not  manage 
to  reach  the  next  bungalow  on  the  road,  and  they  had  to 
spend  the  night  on  the  mountain-side  or  in  some  sheltered 
valley.  On  one  occasion  no  level  spot  on  which  to  pitch 
the  tents  could  be  discerned  nearer  than  a  little  plateau 
that  could  be  seen  a  long  way  above  the  road.  So  decep- 
tive are  the  distances  among  such  stupendous  ranges,  that 
it  took  an  hour's  hard  climbing  to  reach  that  little  bit 
of  level.  It  was  a  grand  position,  the  peaks  towering  up 
into  the  sky  on  all  sides.  The  argus  pheasant  was  to  be 
found  in  plenty,  and  some  of  the  more  enthusiastic  of  the 
sportsmen,  fascinated  by  the  view,  declared  that  they 
would  take  a  cold  dinner  with  them,  climb  to  the  top  of 
the  overhanging  peak,  and  there  sleep,  so  as  to  be  ready 
for  pheasant-shooting  in  the  early  morning.      The  war- 

159 


AN  EXTRAORDINARY  STORM 

correspondent  smiled  quietly  to  himself  as  he  witnessed 
the  start,  and  all  the  evening  the  men  kept  dropping  in, 
one  after  another,  utterly  exhausted,  and  remarking  that 
they  would  defer  till  the  morning  their  visit  to  the  summit. 
It  was  as  well  so,  for  presently  there  arose  a  tremendous 
storm,  "  The  blinding  flashes  lighted  up  the  closed  tent, 
inside  which  we  sat  as  though  it  were  in  the  focus  of  an 
electric  light.  Rolls  of  thunder  clashed  along  the  hill-side, 
so  that  we  imagined  the  rocks  were  tumbling  down  upon 
our  heads,  and  the  rain  fell  with  a  heavy  leaden  thud  for 
hours  together,  till  the  little  spring  swelled  into  a  torrent, 
and  dashed  away  with  a  great  roar  into  the  stream  in  the 
valley  below  us." 

Other  matters  than  sport  occupied  the  attention  of  the 
Englishmen,  however,  and  especially  of  their  chief.  There 
was  a  sensation  one  morning  when  five  or  six  hillmen 
brought  into  the  camp  two  sepoys — runaway  mutineers,  it 
was  said.  They  were  big,  well-built  fellows,  and  carried 
themselves  in  a  way  that  immediately  proclaimed  the 
soldier.  They  were  placed  before  Lord  William  for 
examination,  and  told  lies  glibly.  They  first  pretended 
to  be  fakirs  from  Cashmere,  but  Khoom  Dass,  after  a  little 
cross-questioning,  proved  that  they  knew  nothing  of  the 
beliefs  and  duties  of  a  fakir.  One  of  the  prisoners 
admitted  that  he  had  been  a  servant  in  the  4)6th  Regi- 
ment of  Native  Infantry,  and  at  last  that  it  was  just 
possible  he  might  once  have  been  a  sepoy  in  that  notorious 
band.  Whfit  part  exactly  these  fellows  had  played  in  the 
Mutiny  and  its  awful  accompaniments  could  not  be  dis- 
covered at  that  time  and  place,  and  they  were  sent  away 
to  Simla  for  further  examination. 

160 


ALARMED  BY  A  COMET 

Terrible  alarm  was  caused  one  night  among  the  natives 
attached  to  the  expedition  by  the  rise  above  the  black 
outline  of  the  mountain  forest  of  a  "  bright  and  wonderful 
star,  which,  as  it  ascended,  displayed  a  tail  of  a  faint  rose- 
coloured  hue  streaming  after  it.  The  natives  assembled 
in  great  consternation,  and  gazed  upon  it  with  awe  and 
horror,  for  with  them  to  have  the  '  Doomwallah '  is  an 
omen  of  most  evil  import,  perplexing  nations  with  the 
fear  of  change.  It  was  some  moments  ere  we  made  out  it 
was  a  comet,  and  for  hours  we  watched  its  fierv  seam 
across  the  calm  blue  heavens.""  So  easily  are  the  peoples 
of  that  far-off  hill-country  alarmed  by  any  unusual  natural 
phenomenon. 

The  members  of  the  expedition  had  several  times  seen 
the  Rajah  of  Bussahir,  and  had  had  many  curious  experi- 
ences of  him  and  his  people.  But  at  length  there  came  a 
day  which  banished  the  potentate  from  the  British  pres- 
ence. The  Rajah  paid  a  visit  to  Lord  William,  and  got 
himself  into  serious  trouble  by  coming  in  a  state  of  help- 
less intoxication  ;  he  had,  in  fact,  been  up  all  night,  drink- 
ing hard  at  brandy  and  champagne.  Lord  William 
administered  a  severe  rebuke,  and  sent  the  Prince  away  in 
disgrace. 

This  strange  and  unpleasant  duty  did  not  prevent  the 
officers  from  going  out  to  hunt  in  the  afternoon,  more 
especially  as  word  had  been  brought  into  the  camp  that 
the  traces  of  a  bear  had  been  seen  in  the  neighbourhood. 
A  big  show  of  beating  was  made,  and  the  search  was  close ; 
at  one  time  the  shikaree,  or  huntsman,  declared  that  the 
beast  could  not  be  more  than  twenty  yards  away.  It  was 
all  to  no  purpose ;  the  bush  was  so  thick  that  all  traces  of 

161  L 


DANGERS  OF  HUNTING 

the  bear  were  lost.  But  there  was  found  the  carcass  of  a 
musk-deer,  which  had  been  killed  by  a  leopard  and  partly 
devoured.  A  search  was  made  by  the  natives  for  the 
musk-bag,  and  it  appeared  that  the  leopard  always  throws 
away  that  portion  of  the  musk-deer,  probably  because  its 
presence  gives  an  unpleasant  flavour  to  the  whole  of  the 
flesh.  Some  of  these  deer  were  heard  crashing  through 
the  scrub,  but  there  were  no  dogs  present  to  assist  in  the 
tracking,  and  the  animals  escaped. 

The  life  of  the  hunter  in  the  Himalayas  is  full  of 
dangers,  especially  in  the  case  of  the  native  mountain-folk, 
many  of  whom  devote  all  their  days  to  this  occupation. 
It  is  not  only  the  risks  from  bears  and  other  wild  animals 
they  have  to  fear,  but  they  are  liable  to  be  caught  in 
snowstorms  and  lost,  or  overwhelmed  by  avalanches  of 
snow  or  by  falling  rocks,  to  say  nothing  of  the  precipices 
and  the  frequency  with  which  bad  falls  are  met  with.  An 
injured  man  may  lie  in  agony  for  days  in  some  remote 
spot  till  death  mercifully  intervenes,  and  for  long  after- 
wards his  bleached  skeleton  may  remain  a  ghastly  spectacle 
to  future  adventurers.  There  is  also  the  risk  of  snake- 
bites. One  day,  as  the  beaters  were  pursuing  their  duties 
with  their  usual  din,  suddenly  they  began  a  wild  yell  of 
'*  Maro !  maro  !"  jumping  violently  up  and  down  the  while. 
Lord  William  Hay  began  to  jump  likewise,  much  to 
Russell's  mystification,  who,  though  but  a  few  yards 
behind,  could  not  see  what  the  chief  was  about.  All  the 
same,  the  war-correspondent  showed  remarkable  agility  in 
skipping  out  of  the  way  also.  Lord  William  banged  the 
bush  heavily  with  a  thick  stick,  and  at  length  cried  glee- 
fully, "  I  have  killed  him  !"     It  was  a  snake  he  had  been 

162 


AWFUL  PRECIPICES 

attacking,  and  the  natives  declared  it  to  be  one  of  the 
deadliest  serpents  of  the  district,  and  that  a  man  once 
bitten  by  it  had  but  a  few  minutes  to  live. 

Russell  breaks  out  into  unstinted  admiration  of  the 
views  to  be  obtained  from  all  the  commanding  points  on 
their  route.  This  was  the  case  at  a  place  near  the  source 
of  the  Ghirree,  from  which  was  to  be  had  one  of  the  most 
glorious  prospects  in  the  world.  But  it  was  an  awful 
place  also — so  much  so,  indeed,  that  "  it  was  enough  to 
make  even  a  man  of  strong  nerves  shudder  at  portions  of 
the  path,  which  is  carried  with  infinite  art  by  most  trying 
curves  of  mountain  and  precipice  right  along  the  top  of 
this  abyss."  These  precipices  were  in  some  places  two 
thousand  or  three  thousand  feet  in  sheer  depth,  the  moun- 
tain seeming  as  if  rent  bodily  in  two.  Here  the  hunting- 
party  were  met  by  a  whole  mob  of  natives  from  the  sur- 
rounding settlements.  The  fellows  were  in  a  state  of 
great  excitement,  saying  that  a  couple  of  bears  had  dis- 
appeared into  the  thick  wood  lining  the  bottom  of  the 
valley.  They  begged  the  assistance  of  the  gentlemen,  a 
request  complied  with  at  once  and  with  delight,  as  it  is 
hardly  necessary  to  say.  Into  the  forest  jungle  the  whole 
party,  hunters  and  villagers,  plunged.  They  crashed 
about  vigorously  for  an  hour  or  two,  the  natives  keeping 
up  an  indescribable  din  all  the  while.  At  length  all 
farther  progress  was  stopped  by  the  density  of  the  under- 
growth. The  bears  had  evidently  given  their  enemies  the 
slip,  and  the  sportsmen  retired  from  the  wood,  feeling  that 
they  had  rather  been  made  fools  of.  Their  further  feel- 
ings may  be  imagined  when  they  were  informed  by  the 
natives  that  this  wood  was  one  of  the  most  dangerous 

163 


BABIES  UNDER  WATERFALLS 

places  to  be  found,  for  it  was  thickly  infested  by  terribly 
deadly  snakes.  One  species  \\'as  a  sort  of  boa,  which  was 
asserted  to  be  forty  or  fifty  feet  long,  with  a  body  as  thick 
as  the  trunk  of  a  fair-sized  pine.  This  tall  story  was  not 
at  all  credited  by  the  British  sportsmen,  but  they  had  no 
difficulty  in  believing  that  the  other  and  smaller  kind  of 
serpent — the  same  as  that  killed  by  Lord  William  not 
long  before — was  plentiful  enough.  As  it  happened,  no 
member  of  the  party  had  been  injured  in  the  scramble 
amongst  the  bushes. 

A  curious  custom  was  found  to  prevail  in  one  locality. 
A  Thakoor  of  the  district  had  a  little  boy,  to  whom  Russell 
had  taken  a  great  fancy,  giving  him  a  pocket-knife.  This 
man,  visiting  the  tents  one  evening,  excused  himself  for 
not  having  brought  his  son  by  saying  that  the  child  was 
asleep  under  the  waterfall !  A  little  inquiry  revealed  the 
fact  that  the  women,  whenever  they  wanted  a  child  to  go 
to  sleep,  took  him  to  a  spot  on  the  mountain-side  where 
stood  ready  for  use  a  number  of  miniature  waterfalls.  A 
place  had  been  chosen  where  water  gushed  forth  from  the 
rock,  and  there  a  shed  had  been  built,  down  into  which 
the  water  was  led  by  means  of  reeds  or  other  tubes.  The 
children  were  laid  on  the  ground  beneath  these  spouts,  so 
that  a  trickle  of  water  descended  continuously  on  the  face. 
'*  The  child  closes  its  eyes  and  mouth,  and  falls  into  a  pro- 
found, sweet,  and  healthful  sleep,  which  endures  so  long  as 
it  is  left  under  the  waterspout !"  And  the  correspondent 
declares  that  though  he  had  seen  dozens  of  children  so 
sleeping,  yet  he  had  never  heard  of  any  ill-effects  resulting 
from  this  strange  treatment. 

Russell  had  some  amusing  experiences  on  the  occasion 

164 


VISIT  TO  A  RAJAH 

of  a  sort  of  state  visit  to  another  of  the  highland  Rajahs. 
He  accompanied  Mr.  Melville,  a  Deputy-Commissioner, 
and  seems  to  have  been  mistaken  by  the  Rajah  for  that 
great  official.  At  any  rate,  the  war-correspondent  was 
invited  to  ascend  to  the  potentate's  howduh,  on  the  back 
of  an  enormous  elephant.  This  was  how  it  had  to  be 
done :  Russell  had  first  to  mount  a  ladder  to  the  top  of 
another  elephant  standing  by,  and  then  to  step  across  the 
space  between  the  two  animals.  The  day  was  frightfully 
hot ;  the  elephants  were  fidgety  ;  the  war-correspondent 
was  heavy,  and  not  exactly  nimble,  being  slightly  lame 
just  then ;  the  chasm  was  of  uncertain  and  varying 
breadth,  and  full  fifteen  feet  deep  !  How  Mr.  Melville 
must  have  chuckled  to  see  his  friend  balancing  himself 
anxiously  as  he  stood  on  the  back  of  the  unsteady  beast, 
watching  for  a  chance  of  jumping  across  in  safety ! 

"  There  sat  His  Highness  the  Rajah,  and  here  stood 
his  lowness  the  correspondent,  afraid,  by  reason  of  his 
lameness,  to  make  a  leap  ;  and  the  bulging  sides  of  the 
two  elephants  kept  their  howdahs  as  far  apart  as  the 
main-chains  of  two  line-of-battle  ships  would  sejiarate 
their  hammock-nettings.  I  could  not  make  an  explana- 
tory speech  to  the  Rajah,  who  sat  smiling  with  extended 
hand,  the  finger-tips  some  good  six  feet  away  ;  and  thus 
I  stood,  supremely  foolish,  and  very  uncertain  what  to  do, 
till  a  sudden  lurch,  a  push  from  behind,  a  desperate 
resolution  all  combined,  and  with  a  desperate,  ponderous 
flop,  full  thirteen  stone  and  ten  pounds,  I  dropped  on  the 
Rajah"'s  feet,  and  took  my  seat  at  his  side.  Dear,  good 
man !  Kings  have  long  and  unfeeling  arms,  but  I 
presume  their  toes  are  as  sensitive  as  those  of  most  mortal 

165 


AN  AFFABLE  POTENTATE 

men.  The  Rajah  never  winced,  and  yet  I  am  nearly 
certain  I  alighted,  or  preponderated,  upon  his  feet ;  and  I 
am  perfectly  certain  his  feet  were  quite  naked,  with  the 
exception  of  some  rings  of  precious  metal  set  round  His 
Highnesses  most  favoured  pedal  digits." 

However,  the  Rajah  was  exceedingly  affable,  and  the 
two  had  a  long  conversation  together,  Mr.  Melville  act- 
ing as  interpreter.  Before  the  interview  ended,  valuable 
presents  were  brought  by  the  attendants  and  offered  to 
the  visitors.  Russell  was  pressed  to  take  a  magnificent 
set  of  precious  stones,  the  value  of  which,  he  was  after- 
wards informed,  was  not  less  than  thirty  thousand  pounds  ! 
He  bowed  and  declined  the  dazzling  offer.  He  was  wise, 
for  etiquette  would  have  required  him  to  make  a  present 
of  equal  value  in  return ! 


166 


CHAPTER  XIV 

SYEIAN   MOUNTAINS    AND    SYRIAN    ROBBERS 

A  famous  book  of  travels — Mr  ^Warburtou,  the  author  of  ''The 
Crescent  and  the  Cross  " — His  Eastern  tour — Starts  over  the 
Mountains  of  Lebanon — A  well-armed  couple — A  wonderful 
country — "Torn  mountains  and  black  precipices" — Panthers, 
wild  boars,  hyenas — A  liyena  shot — Alone  in  a  robbers'  den  at 
night — A  masterful  assumption  of  authority — A  difficult  moun- 
tain-path— Ascent  of  the  "Hill  of  Hermon  " — Half  dead  with 
thirst — "A  precious  little  rivulet" — Milking  the  wild  goats — 
Gazelle -stalking — A  night  on  the  bare  mountain-side  —  The 
wild  "  hill-country  of  Judea  " — ^Varburton's  dragoman  miss- 
ing— The  peasant  and  the  gun — A  fruitless  searcii — Bishop's 
men  join  in  it — A  cut-throat  village — "  None  who  enter  come 
out  again  !" — Warburton  dashes  into  the  place — A  surly  recep- 
tion— Exit  barred — 'A  group  of  dark  figures  at  the  gate — 
"Stand  clear  !" — Flashing  steel — A  wonderful  escape — Servant 
found — A  mountain  ride  to  Beyrout — Englishman  pushes  on 
ahead — A  terrible  track  in  the  dark — Four  mounted  scouts  in 
the  pass — A  collection  of  Arab  smuggler-tents  at  one  in  the 
morning — Picturesque  scene — But  a  terribly  dangerous  position 
— Three  squinting  ruffians — A  friendly  Syrian — "  I  shot  past 
the  smugglers." 

Mr.  Eliot  Warburton,  the  author  of  "The  Crescent 
and  the  Cross,"  lived  before  the  days  of  cheap  excursions 
and  personally-conducted  tourist  parties;  but,  though 
travel  was  more  difficult  in  his  time,  he  saw  a  good  deal 
more  than  the  majority  of  our  present-day  holiday 
tourists   manage   to   do  with  their   superior  advantages, 

167 


AN  EASTERN  TOUR 

and  he  described  his  journeyings  in  a  delightful  style 
which  made  his  book  famous. 

From  Gibraltar  he  sailed  to  Egypt,  ascended  the  Nile 
to  Nubia,  came  back  again,  and  voyaged  to  Syria  and 
Palestine,  and,  on  his  homeward  way,  contrived  to  see 
Cyprus,  Constantinople,  and  Greece.  Not  the  least  in- 
teresting part  of  his  long  round  was  that  which  covered 
the  mountains  of  Lebanon  and  the  Syrian  uplands 
generally,  and  the  "  hill-country  of  Judea."  We  may 
take  up  his  narrative  at  Beyrout,  from  which  he  intended 
to  travel  over  the  Mountains  of  Lebanon,  to  see  Damascus 
and  the  ruins  of  Baalbec,  and  to  visit  the  sacred  scenes  of 
the  Holy  Land. 

His  retinue  consisted  of  a  servant  and  a  muleteer,  both 
armed  in  magnificent  fashion.  The  muleteer  wore  a  big 
belt,  in  which  were  stuck  almost  an  armoury  of  daggers 
and  pistols,  while  the  rest  of  his  dress,  "a  pair  of 
petticoat-trousers,  red  slippers,  a  faded  jacket,"  together 
with  a  red  cap  wrapped  round  with  a  Damascus  shawl, 
was  certainly  picturesque  and  very  much  in  keeping 
with  his  profession  and  the  wild  Syrian  mountains. 
The  servant  was  more  of  a  dandy,  yet  he  too  presented 
a  formidable  appearance,  carrying  a  pair  of  pistols  in  the 
pommel  of  his  saddle,  a  sabre  by  his  side,  and  his  master's 
gun  slung  across  his  shoulder.  For  many  weeks  did  the 
traveller  tread  the  mountains  with  only  these  two  honest 
fellows  for  company  and  help  in  time  of  need.  His  horse, 
a  beautiful  Arab  steed,  was  to  him  as  a  dear  friend.  The 
state  of  the  country  will  be  understood  from  the  fact  that 
every  traveller  whom  he  met  on  the  way  was  fully  armed. 

The  following  description  of  the  scenery  of  the  Lebanon 

168 


SCENERY  OF  LEBANON 

will  stand  for  many  spots  besides  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  village  of  Beteddeen,  respecting  which  it  is  written  : 
"  We  broke  away  over  the  mountains  at  a  gallop  where  it 
seemed  too  steep  to  walk.  We  had  sent  on  our  servants 
early,  and  soon  lost  our  way  ;  but  still  we  pushed  on, 
though  it  was  a  wild  country  to  ride  a  steeple — or, 
rather,  a  mosque — chase  in.  We  came  at  last  upon  a 
beautiful  little  village,  clinging  to  the  side  of  a  precipice, 
with  cascades  gushing  through  its  streets  and  over- 
arching some  of  them.  .  .  .  Our  way  henceforth  for 
some  hours  lay  through  scenery  perhaps  unparalleled  in 
beauty.  AH  the  picturesque  and  imposing,  all  the 
awful  yet  winning  effect,  that  hill  and  vale  and  water 
can  produce  are  here.  Torn  mountains,  black  precipices, 
thundering  torrents,  yawning  rifts,  soft,  sunny  glades, 
pale  green  vineyards,  wide-spreading  forests,  flat-roofed 
cottages,  sparkling  rills,  terraced  cultivation,  and  a 
brilliant  sky  over  all,  leave  nothing  for  the  painters,  or 
even  the  poet's,  eye  to  desire." 

Of  dangerous  wild  animals  our  traveller  saw  very  few. 
On  Mount  Cgu'mel,  he  was  told,  there  were  panthers,  and 
wild  boars,  and  hyenas.  The  goatherds  of  the  district 
have  always  to  go  armed  during  the  day,  and  have  to  fold 
their  flocks  at  night  within  stone-wall  fences.  Mr.  War- 
burton  managed  to  shoot  one  hyena  before  he  left  the 
district,  but  it  escaped  with  its  wounds  among  the  cliff's. 

It  was  the  men  from  whom  the  dangers  of  the  journey, 
if  any,  might  be  expected  to  come.  The  wandering  Arabs 
were  a  wild,  lawless,  and  vindictive  set  as  a  rule.  Even 
the  Turkish  soldiers,  who  might  have  been  expected  to  be 
under  discipline,  were  often  awkward  fellows  to  meet  with. 

169 


AN  ENGLISHMAN'S  COOLNESS 

On  one  occasion  Mr.  Warburton  had  ridden  on  ahead  of 
his  servants  when  a  storm  came  on.  He  ran  for  shelter  to 
some  ruined  buildings,  that  looked  the  very  thing  for  a 
robbers'  den.  He  was  not  very  greatly  pleased  to  find 
two  armed  Arabs  in  possession  of  the  ruins.  The  place 
and  the  men  were  alike  ugly  and  forbidding,  but  it  was 
too  late  to  turn  away.  And  Mr.  Warburton  was  not  in 
the  least  the  sort  of  man  to  show  the  white  feather.  His 
plan  of  action  was  soon  formed.  With  an  air  of  authority 
he  flung  the  rein  to  one  of  the  fellows,  and  ordered  him  to 
lead  the  horse  up  and  down  to  cool.  The  other  man  was 
directed  to  make  a  fire  at  once,  while  the  Englishman  him- 
self, in  the  most  off-hand  way  possible,  sat  down,  lighted 
his  pipe,  and  watched  his  orders  carried  out.  Strange  to 
say,  the  Arabs  at  once  obeyed,  after  glancing  at  one 
another  for  a  moment,  and  by  the  time  the  traveller's 
servants  arrived  there  was  a  good  fire  blazing,  and  the 
horse  was  cool.  Had  the  stranger  showed  any  timidity,  or 
had  his  tone  been  less  masterful,  there  is  little  doubt  that 
the  Arabs  would  have  plundered  him,  if,  indeed,  he  had 
escaped  a  worse  fate. 

In  many  parts  of  the  mountain  country  the  ascents  and 
descents  were  difficult  and  even  dangerous,  yet  the  servants 
of  the  Englishman  would  take  them  at  a  gallop,  wherever 
it  was  at  all  possible.  Coming  down  the  side  of  Lebanon 
on  one  occasion  towards  a  stronghold  of  the  Druses,  he 
found  the  way  very  long,  very  toilsome,  and  very  dan- 
gerous. It  was  such  a  path  as  he  describes  elsewhere, 
where  nothing  but  a  lizard  or  a  mountaineer  might  have 
been  expected  to  venture.  Glad  were  horse  and  man  when 
at  last  they  reached  the  valley  and   a  deliciously  cool 

170 


THE  HILL  OF  HERMON 

streamlet.  Again,  near  the  village  called  Ainete  the 
horses  could  scarcely  keep  their  feet  at  all  on  the  sides  of 
the  naked  mountain,  and  the  beasts  went  on  hurriedly 
and  yet  fearfully,  evidently  dreading  a  catastrophe,  and 
yet  desirous  of  getting  away  as  fast  as  possible  from  so 
unsafe  a  spot. 

Warburton  made  an  ascent  of  the  loftiest  and  most 
famous  of  the  Syrian  peaks,  Djebel-es-Sheikh,  the  Chief 
of  the  Mountains,  or,  as  it  is  called  in  the  Scnptui-es,  the 
Hill  of  Hermon.  He  tells  us  that  though  he  had  ascended 
most  of  the  usual  mountains,  this  was  by  far  the  most 
difficult  of  all.  He  and  his  companions  left  their  horses 
in  the  village  nearest  the  summit,  but  it  required  six  hours 
of  the  severest  climbing  after  that  to  reach  the  top,  so 
long  and  laborious  was  the  ascent.  The  party  were  half 
dead  with  thirst,  but  not  a  drop  of  water  could  be  found 
on  all  the  route.  Then,  when  the  summit  was  reached 
where  the  snow  was  lying,  every  man  rushed  to  the  first 
patch.  They  could  not  satisfy  their  thirst  till  their  guide 
showed  them  how  to  proceed.  Breaking  off  masses  of  the 
frozen  snow  he  held  them  in  the  sun,  and  at  length  "a 
precious  little  rivulet  trickled  down  into  our  parched 
mouths."  In  the  traveller's  opinion  the  world  does  not 
possess  a  more  magnificent  view  than  that  which  he  beheld 
from  the  crown  of  the  Hill  of  Hermon. 

The  descent  from  the  mountain  and  the  course  among 
the  hills  towards  Damascus  brought  a  fresh  incident  or 
two.  Thirst  again  attacking  the  party,  and  no  water 
being  in  sight,  it  struck  them  that  if  they  could  catch 
some  of  the  mountain  goats,  they  might  obtain  milk.  A 
hard  and  exciting  chase  after  the  animals  it  was  before 

171 


DRAGOMAN  MISSING 

one  was  caught,  but  when  it  was  milked,  on  the  snow,  the 
di'flughts  were  refreshing  indeed.  Lower  down  the  party 
tried  to  stalk  some  gazelles,  but  were  unsuccessful.  It  was 
late  when  they  got  down  from  the  mountain,  but  the 
Englishman  declined  the  invitation  to  stop  for  the  night 
at  the  village,  fearing  the  fleas  there  more  than  the  wild 
beasts  without  or  the  robbers  roaming  the  hills.  Yet  the 
way  was  solitary  ;  it  was  rough  and  rugged ;  it  was  known 
to  be  haunted  by  freebooters.  The  traveller  and  his  men 
plodded  on  till  it  was  pitch  dark,  however,  and  they  were 
then  compelled  to  lie  down  on  the  bare  ground,  just  where 
they  were,  and  tie  their  horses  to  their  feet.  The  muleteer 
took  the  precaution  to  remove  the  bells  from  the  necks  of 
the  animals,  lest  the  sound  might  attract  the  prowling 
robbers.  In  this  uncomfortable  fashion  they  passed  the 
night  on  the  mountain-side. 

An  adventure  of  a  different  kind  awaited  the  traveller  in 
the  mountain-country  of  Judea,  not  far  from  the  ancient 
and  hallowed  village  of  Bethlehem.  He  was  riding  quietly 
along  Avhen  he  suddenly  noticed  that  his  servant,  or 
dragoman,  was  missing.  He  had  heard  a  shot,  but  took 
very  little  notice,  such  sounds  being  only  too  common  in  a 
country  where  everybody  bore  arms.  Going  back  into  the 
valley  to  look  for  the  man,  he  met  a  fellow  with  a  musket 
over  his  shoulder.  This  weapon  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
seize  and  hold  while  he  questioned  the  countryman.  The 
peasant  said  that  he  too  had  heard  a  shot,  and  had  seen  a 
man  galloping  hard  away ;  he  opened  the  pan  of  his  own 
gun  to  show  that  it,  at  any  rate,  had  not  been  recently 
fired.  Up  one  hill  after  another  did  Warburton  climb, 
shouting  the  name  Nicola  with  all  his  might,  till  it  was 

172 


A  FRUITLESS  SEARCH 

dark.  Making  his  way  to  Bethlehem,  he  went  in  search  of 
the  English  Bishop,  to  heg  the  assistance  of  his  men  in  the 
search.  He  found  the  kindly  Bishop  conducting  service 
in  the  church,  but  the  good  man  at  once  placed  his  groom 
and  janissary  at  Warburton's  disposal. 

Now,  among  the  hills,  near  the  place  where  the  missing 
servant  had  last  been  seen,  was  a  village  with  a  very  bad 
reputation.  It  was  suiTOunded  with  a  wall,  and  strangers 
were  hardly  ever  permitted  to  enter  there ;  if  they  did 
enter,  they  never  came  out  again.  When,  therefore, 
Mr.  Warburton  announced  to  his  men,  and  to  a  number  of 
Bethlehemites  who  had  volunteered  their  services,  his 
intention  of  going  into  the  village  to  look  for  the  missing 
servant,  they  regarded  him  with  amazement.  But  he  was 
mounted  on  a  splendid  horse,  and  without  hesitation  he 
dashed  on  ahead  down  the  mountain-side,  and  was  soon 
flying  at  full  speed  through  the  village  street,  the  hoofs 
sending  out  showers  of  sparks  as  they  struck  the  road  of 
solid  rock.  He  found  only  a  few  sulky  groups,  every  man 
armed  with  a  formidable  knife.  In  answer  to  his  inquiries, 
they  replied  in  a  surly  fashion  that  no  horseman  had  for 
many  a  day  entered  their  town.  On  this  Warburton 
made  for  the  opposite  gate,  down  a  very  steep  street.  This 
is  his  own  vivid  account  of  his  escape  from  that  den  of 
thieves  and  cut-throats. 

"  I  could  see  a  group  of  dark  figures  standing  under  the 
archway,  and  the  two  nearest  of  the  party  had  crossed  their 
spears  to  arrest  my  passage.  I  could  not  have  stopped  if 
I  would ;  neither  the  custom  of  the  country  nor  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case  required  much  ceremony ;  so,  shouting 
to  them  to  '  stand  clear,"  I  gave  spurs  to  my  eager  steed, 

173 


THE  SERVANT'S  TALE 

and  burst  through  them  as  if  I  was  '  switching  a  rasper.' 
The  thin  spears  gave  way  Hke  twigs ;  the  mob  rebounded 
to  the  right  and  to  the  left  against  the  wall.  They  were  all 
armed,  and  mine  was  not  the  only  steel  that  gleamed  as 
a  fellow  rushed  forward  to  seize  my  bridle.  The  next 
moment  my  mare  chested  him,  and  sent  him  spinning  and 
tangled  in  his  long  blue  gown,  while  I  shot  forth  into  the 
open  moonlight,  and,  turning  round  a  pile  of  ruins,  was  in 
a  moment  hidden  from  their  view." 

The  plucky  Englishman  made  the  best  of  his  way  to 
Bethlehem  again,  feeling  it  useless  to  continue  the  search 
in  the  darkness  of  the  night.  He  had  a  scare  on  his 
return  journey,  meeting  a  party  of  armed  men.  They 
proved  to  be  friends,  citizens  who  had  come  out  to  inform 
him  that  the  dragoman  had  been  found.  When  the 
Bethlehem  men  learnt  that  the  traveller  had  actually  been 
into  that  "den  of  robbers,'"  and  had  come  out  again, 
they  scarcely  credited  the  story.  The  servant  was 
found  at  the  convent,  and  this  was  his  tale :  he  had  gone 
back  to  the  Pool  of  Siloam  to  fetch  his  rosary,  which  he 
had  left  there,  when  an  Arab  had  fired  upon  him  from 
behind  a  rock.  The  bullet  had  grazed  his  skin  and  had 
torn  away  part  of  his  collar.  Terrified,  he  had  galloped 
off,  in  his  perturbation  missing  the  road,  however,  and 
never  stopping  till  he  reached  the  gate  of  Jerusalem.  To 
his  dismay,  he  found  it  closed,  and  the  guards  refused  him 
admittance ;  there  was  nothing  for  it,  therefore,  but  to 
ride  back  to  Bethlehem.  On  the  way  he  had  been  met  by 
the  Bishop's  servants. 

To  the  very  end  of  his  stay  in  Syria  and  Palestine, 
Mr.  Warburton  met  with  dangers  by  the  way.     He  was 

174 


A    Da  KING    i'lCAl 

Mounted  on  a  splendid  horse,  to  which  he  gave  spur,  Warburton  burst  through  the 
gateway  of  a  village  from  which  no  strangers  were  ever  known  to  come  out,  if  they 
were  foolhardy  enough  to  enter. 


DANGERS  BY  THE  WAY 

riding  along  the  mountains  towards  Beyrout,  at  which 
place  he  intended  to  take  his  passage  on  board  a  home- 
ward-bound ship.  He  puvshed  on  ahead,  having  business 
to  get  through  in  the  port  before  the  vessel  sailed  on  the 
morrow.  His  muleteer  in  vain  begged  him  not  to 
adventure  himself  thus  rashly  by  going  alone,  saying  that 
the  district  was  not  only  the  haunt  of  robbers,  but  a 
hiding-place  for  smuggled  goods.  It  was  a  wild  and 
rugged  country,  moreover,  and  the  very  place  for  lawless 
deeds.  The  Englishman  attributed  all  this  to  a  super- 
abundant Eastern  imagination,  but  he  was  not  long  in 
discovering  that  his  servant  had  spoken  the  truth  for  once  ! 

Riding  along  a  very  steep  and  slippery  path,  he 
descended  somewhat,  and,  passing  through  a  cemetery, 
observed  lights  twinkling  at  intervals  along  the  hill.  He 
noted  that  as  he  approached  each  one  of  these  lights  in 
turn,  it  was  immediately  put  out,  but  only  to  reappear  as 
soon  as  he  was  past.  He  took  it  that  they  were  signals  to 
smugglers  away  on  the  shore.  He  now  took  care  to  wrap 
something  round  the  cap  he  was  wearing,  the  red  tarboosh 
of  a  Turkish  soldier,  knowing  that  the  owner  of  such  a 
thing  would  infallibly  get  a  bullet  through  his  head  before 
long.  As  he  approached  a  pass  in  the  rocks  four  mounted 
scouts  suddenly  dashed  out  upon  him,  and,  reining  up 
close  to  him,  demanded  who  he  was  and  whither  he  was 
bound.  "  An  Englishman  travelling  to  Beyrout,"  he 
answered,  and,  after  a  moment's  consultation,  the  fellows 
allowed  him  to  proceed,  rather  to  his  surprise. 

About  a  mile  farther  on  Warburton  came  upon  a  number 
of  tents.  It  was  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  dead 
hour  of  night.     To  escape  from  so  many  men  as  were 

176 


A  CRITICAL  POSITION 

gathered  here  was  practically  impossible.  Putting  his 
usual  bold  face  on  the  matter,  he  rode  unhesitatingly  up  to 
the  largest  of  the  tents  and  dismounted,  desiring  one  of 
the  Arabs  to  lead  his  horse  about  a  little ;  then,  asking 
for  a  light  for  his  pipe,  he  placidly  stretched  himself  out 
on  the  tent  carpet.  The  scene  was  a  most  picturesque  one, 
he  tells  us :  high  mountains  frowning  all  around,  the 
smugglers  standing  at  the  door  of  the  tent,  all  with  pistols 
and  yataghans,  the  dew  upon  their  shaggy  beards,  a 
glorious  moon  shining  over  all.  But  how  critical  was  the 
stranger's  position  there,  at  dead  of  night,  high  on  those 
lonely  mountains,  and  at  the  mercy  of  men  of  violence 
who  would  stick  at  nothing !  No  wonder  he  says  of  the 
picture  that  it  was  one  "  on  which  I  gazed  earnestly  as 
it  might  be  for  the  last  time.  I  knew  that  if  they  robbed, 
they  would  also  murder  me,  as  the  silence  of  those  '  who 
tell  no  tales  ^  was  important  to  them ;  and  yet  I  lay 
smoking  my  pipe  with  as  much  calmness,  if  not  indifference, 
as  ever  I  did  under  the  shelter  of  the  English  flag.'"'  Thus 
to  assume  a  coolness  he  perhaps  did  not  by  any  means  feel 
was  no  doubt  the  traveller's  only  chance. 

Presently  three  ruffians  of  most  forbidding  aspect,  and 
all  squinting  frightfully,  approached  nearer  and  glowered 
long  and  closely  at  the  stranger,  inquiring  at  length  what 
had  brought  him  there  at  that  time  of  night.  In  answer 
to  the  question,  he  gave  the  same  account  of  himself  as 
before:  he  was  an  Englishman,  and  his  servants  were 
following  him,  a  reply  evidently  disbelieved  by  the  fellows. 
At  that  moment  there  came  a  surprise :  a  young  Syrian 
made  his  appearance,  and,  speaking  in  French,  informed 
Warburton   in   most   kindly   terms   that   he  was  in  the 

176 


FAREWELL  TO  SYRIAN  MOUNTAINS 

greatest  possible  danger,  but  that  he  would  advise  him  to 
stay  where  he  was  till  the  morning.  The  Englishman 
thanked  the  young  fellow,  but  replied  that  it  was  his 
intention  to  proceed  at  once  on  his  journey. 

"  I  persisted  in  departing,  and  mounted  my  horse 
deliberately ;  as  I  gathered  up  my  reins,  the  three  Arabs 
placed  themselves  in  my  way,  and  one  attempted  to  catch 
my  bridle ;  I  well  knew  then  that  my  only  chance  of 
escape  lay  in  resolution  ;  so,  saying  to  my  assailant,  '  If  you 
move,  you  die!'  the  moonlight  glimmered  on  the  barrel  of 
the  pistol,  the  Syrian  spoke  a  few  hurried  words  whose 
meaning  I  could  not  catch,  and  the  next  moment  I  was 
past  the  smugglers,  and  out  of  their  sight  round  a  project- 
ing rock.""  Mr.  Warburton  had  still  a  weary  distance  to 
travel  that  night,  and  knew  nothing  whatever  of  the 
arduous  country  through  which  his  path  lay,  but  he  had 
escaped  with  his  life,  and  next  day  saw  him  take  his  last 
leave  of  Bey  rout  and  the  Syrian  mountains. 


177  M 


CHAPTER  XV 

A   NIGHT   ADVENTURE    ON    THE    BRISTENSTOCK 

Spending  the  night  on  a  great  mountain  under  more  favourable 
and  under  less  favourable  conditions — Mr.  Kennedy  and  Mr. 
Hardy  determine  to  attempt  the  Bristenstock,  an  unconquered 
Alp — A  good  start — Much  time  spent  on  early  stages — Glacier, 
moraine,  ridge — Repeated  disappointments — Disposed  to  turn 
back — The  summit  spied — A  long  ''^ twenty  minutes" — Stopped 
by  a  huge  perpendicular  precipice — No  possible  way  down — A 
heart-breaking  return  to  the  top — Daylight  ebbing  out  fast — 
Darkness  comes  on  at  iive  hundi'ed  feet  from  the  summit — A 
dismal  prospect— A  bed  on  a  narrow  rock-shelf — A  frugal 
supper  and  little  sleep — Start  half-frozen  next  morning — 
Wisdom  not  yet  learnt — A  new  route — Another  frightful  preci- 
pice— Ridge  after  ridge  attempted — A  painful  search  for  the 
original  ridge — Tlie  grass  slopes  and  safety  at  last — The  search 
party  met — The  English  reputation  for  pluck  kept  up — A 
lugubrious  story — Enlightenment. 

One  of  the  most  trying  experiences  of  the  mountaineer  is 
that  of  having  to  pass  the  long,  cold  hours  of  darkness, 
when  night  has  come  upon  him  unprepared,  far  away  from 
human  assistance  or  even  human  ken,  high  up  on  some 
lonely,  storm-swept,  and  dangerous  mountain-flank.  To 
bivouac  at  a  lofty  elevation  is,  of  course,  no  new  thing  to 
the  experienced  climber.  Frequently  a  long  and  difficult 
ascent  necessitates  a  start  the  evening  before,  when  the 
long  hours  of  night  must  perforce  be  spent  on  the  moun- 

178 


NIGHT  ON  THE  MOUNTAINS 

tain  itself,  at  some  spot  agreed  upon.  But  on  such  occa- 
sions the  conditions  are  usually  on  the  whole  favourable. 
There  may  be  a  hut,  which,  however  rude,  is  at  any  rate 
better  than  no  shelter  at  all.  Often  a  tent  is  carried  up  ; 
at  the  worst,  the  spot  has  probably  some  defence  against 
the  winds  and  possible  storms.  The  bivouacking  party  is 
generally  fairly  numerous;  food  and  drink  there  are  in 
plenty ;  not  seldom  a  fire  can  be  made.  But  it  is  quite 
otherwise  when,  as  often  happens,  night  overtakes  belated 
climbers  who  are  still  far  up  the  mountain ;  who  have 
little  or  no  food,  and  perhaps  but  a  scanty  supply  of 
clothing  with  them  ;  who,  possibly,  can  find  nothing  but 
the  merest  cornice  whereon  to  rest  through  the  night- 
watches.  In  such  cases  the  dangers  of  the  situation  are 
generally  great,  and  often  appalling.  A  thrilling  ex- 
perience of  this  kind  befell  Messrs.  Kennedy  and  Hardy, 
two  well-known  English  Alpine  climbers,  in  the  year 
1857. 

They  were  staying  at  Amsteg,  on  the  St.  Gothard 
road,  in  the  lleuss  Valley,  and  they  took  it  into  their 
heads  to  ascend  the  Bristenstock,  a  peak  in  the  neighbour- 
hood which  was  said  to  be  of  only  moderate  height — some- 
thing over  ten  thousand  feet,  in  fact — and  it  was  thought 
that  the  summit  might  be  reached  in  six  hours  from  the 
hotel.  Guides  were,  of  course,  pressed  upon  them,  but 
they  both  laughed  the  notion  to  scorn,  quite  confident 
in  their  own  power  to  find  their  way  to  the  top  of  the 
Bristenstock  and  back  unassisted.  As  the  landlord  after- 
wards admitted,  none  of  the  guides  had  ever  been  to  the 
top ;  and,  indeed,  it  was  said  that  only  one  man  had  ever 
ascended  the  mountain,  and  he  had  lost  his  life  in  the 

179 


A  GOOD  START 

descent !  An  ominous  story,  but  the  Englishmen  were 
not  to  be  deterred  by  any  sinister  forebodings  or  ugly 
tales. 

The  couple  made  an  early  start  next  morning,  at  five 
o'clock,  leaving  orders  for  a  good  dinner  to  be  prepared 
for  them  at  six  in  the  evening.  They  were  "  in  light 
marching  order,"  as  Mr.  Kennedy  puts  it,  having  neither 
waistcoat  nor  necktie,  and  carrying  with  them  only  one 
lump  of  bread  and  a  single  bottle  of  wine.  They  meant 
to  enjoy  their  dinner  thoroughly  on  their  return !  It  was 
a  grand  morning,  and  the  ascent  was  at  first  easy,  while 
the  country  was  beautiful.  Chatting  and  admiring  the 
splendid  views  which  every  fresh  turn  opened  out  to  them, 
they  made  their  way  at  a  good  speed,  among  Alpine  roses 
and  rhododendrons.  The  bay  of  Uri  and  the  St.  Gothard 
road  lay  far  beneath,  while  from  the  valley  below  the  sound 
of  church  bells  floated  up  to  the  happy  climbers.  Every- 
thing promised  a  delightful  and  successful  day. 

So  fascinated  were  the  two,  indeed,  that  they  were  dis- 
posed to  linger  too  long  over  this  early  stage  of  their  work. 
But  at  length  rousing  themselves  to  the  realities  of  the 
situation,  they  put  on  more  speed.  Avoiding  the  glacier 
which  filled  the  great  hollow  on  the  north  side  of  the 
mountain,  they  crossed  the  moraine,  and  then  began  to 
mount  the  rock-ridge  bounding  the  glacier.  The  going 
was  hard,  the  stones  being  loose  and  the  slope  steep.  For 
hour  after  hour  they  plodded  on  manfully,  gaining  one 
after  another  the  minor  peaks  which  were  ever  appearing 
above  their  heads.  At  each  of  these  little  summits  they 
hoped  they  should  see  the  final  crown  of  the  Bristenstock, 
but  as  often  they  were  doomed  to  disappointment. 

180 


THE  SUMMIT  SPIED 

Naturally  enough,  they  began  to  get  a  little  anxious; 
for  it  was  now  past  three  ©""clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  the 
topmost  peak  was  apparently  as  far  off  as  ever.  "It  is 
getting  late,  Hardy,""  said  his  companion  ;  "  it  would  be 
better  to  give  it  up  and  return,  for  we  have  many  an  hour*'s 
work  behind  us."'"'  But  just  then  the  other  gained  a  glimpse 
of  the  summit,  and  cried  that  in  twenty  minutes  they 
would  have  achieved  their  end.  To  leave  the  task  after 
such  preliminary  labours  was  absurd,  he  declared.  So 
Mr.  Kennedy  let  himself  be  persuaded,  and  the  two  pushed 
on.  The  twenty  minutes  was  found  to  be  a  bad  guess, 
and  it  was  almost  four  o'clock  when  the  adventurous  pair 
stood  on  the  highest  point  of  the  mountain.  Regardless  in 
their  joy  of  the  flight  of  time,  they  sat  down  to  eat  and 
drink,  and  enjoy  the  prospect  and  the  intoxication  of 
success.  Hardy  was  about  to  throw  away  a  small  piece  of 
bread  that  was  left  of  their  provisions,  when  the  more 
thoughtful  Kennedy  admonished  him  to  put  it  in  his 
pocket. 

It  was  twenty  minutes  after  four  when  they  began  the 
descent ;  there  was  certainly  no  time  to  be  lost.  Accord- 
ingly, Hardy  was  inclined  to  forsake  the  ridge  by  which 
they  had  safely,  if  laboriously,  ascended,  and  take  to  what 
seemed  a  far  easier  way,  down  a  gully.  "  It"'s  rather  fool- 
hardy to  try  a  new  route  at  this  time  of  day,"  objected 
his  companion.  To  which  Hardy  reph'ed  :  "  Don"'t  make 
bad  puns  on  my  name  ;  there''s  no  time  for  that."'"'  In  the 
end  they  chose  the  new  route.  Whether  they  were  "  bold 
and  self-reliant,""  or  "  rash  and  self-conceited,"  Mr.  Ken- 
nedy declares  they  have  never  since  been  quite  able  to 
determine. 

181 


HEAVY  WORK 

However,  down  the  northern  face  of  the  mountain  they 
began  to  pick  their  way.  For  half  an  hour  they  got  on 
rapidly  enough,  but  presently  came  a  long  spell  of  hard, 
almost  sheer,  climbing  down.  Only  one  of  the  men  could 
advance  at  a  time,  in  a  general  way,  so  arduous  was  the 
descent.  One  held  the  poles  while  the  other  got  himself 
down  the  ledge.  Now  and  then  came  places  where  it 
seemed  impossible  to  descend  at  all.  Nevertheless,  Hardy 
talked  cheerfully  of  the  mpper  they  would  have  at  the 
end  of  their  toilsome  day  ;  he  had  long  since  given  up  all 
hope  of  sitting  down  to  that  six  o'clock  dinner  at  the 
hotel.  For  two  hours  this  heavy  work  lasted,  and  we  can 
well  believe  Mr.  Kennedy  when  he  states  that  during  the 
whole  of  the  time  their  "energies,  both  mental  and  bodily, 
were  taxed  to  the  uttermost." 

Suddenly  they  found  themselves  peering  over  the  top  of 
a  perpendicular  precipice  hundreds — nay,  thousands — of 
feet  in  height.  At  the  foot  of  it  was  a  glacier,  which,  as 
usual,  was  separated  from  the  rock  by  a  hergschnind. 
"  From  the  spot  where  we  were  standing,"  to  quote  Mr. 
Kennedy  again,  "  the  wall  of  rock  appeared  to  go  sheer 
down  to  the  ice  ;  there  was  no  mode  of  descent  that  we 
could  possibly  discover,  and  on  neither  hand  could  we 
discern  foothold  even  for  a  chamois.  I  saw  that  there  was 
nothing  to  be  done  where  we  were,  and  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  remain  much  longer  clinging  to  the  slippery  ledges 
of  these  precipitous  rocks."  In  short,  it  was  absolutely 
necessary  to  return  to  the  very  top  of  the  mountain,  and 
make  a  fresh  start  on  their  old  path. 

A  heart-breaking  prospect,  and  at  first  Mr.  Hardy 
expostulated  vehemently.     It  was  impossible,  he  said,  to 

182 


A  HEART-BREAKING  RETURN 

reascend  many  of  the  rocks  down  which  they  had  climbed 
with  such  difficulty.  A  return  to  the  summit  meant,  too, 
that  hope  must  be  given  up  of  supper  and  bed  in  the 
hotel.  Mr.  Kennedy  remarked  that  if  they  got  down  the 
mountain  at  all  that  night  it  "  would  be  in  a  way  that 
would  leave  us  no  further  occasion  for  these  luxuries." 
Go  back,  therefore,  they  must,  at  whatever  cost,  and  Mr. 
Hardy  soon  realized  the  wisdom  of  his  friend's  representa- 
tions. 

The  position  was  an  unenviable  one,  to  say  the  least. 
Here  they  were,  darkness  coming  on  apace,  suspended 
over  a  frightful  precipice,  and  their  only  way  out  of  the 
pass  into  which  they  had  got  themselves  was  to  climb, 
climb,  till  their  weary  limbs  should  bring  them  to  the  very 
top  of  the  mountain  again.  A  couple  of  minutes,  how- 
ever, ended  their  deliberations,  and  then  they  set  off  with 
a  will,  climbing  faster  than  they  had  done  before  all  the 
day.  But  the  difficult  places  were  many.  Often  one  man 
had  to  cling  with  all  his  might  to  a  tiny  ledge  while  his 
companion  climbed  up  to  his  shoulders,  and  so  to  the  next 
shelf,  whence  he  was  able  to  help  to  pull  up  the  first.  It 
was  dangerous  and  most  exhausting  toil. 

In  order  to  save  time  they  struck  oft*  a  hundred  feet  or 
so  short  of  the  actual  summit,  and  crossed  to  their  line  of 
first  ascent.  By  this  time  the  sun  had  set,  and  their  chief 
anxiety  was  to  push  on  while  yet  any  daylight  remained 
and  get  down  as  far  as  possible.  They  were  by  this  time 
well  aware,  of  course,  that  they  would  have  to  spend  the 
night  on  the  mountain.  To  get  down  out  of  the  cold  as 
far  as  they  could  was  then  the  one  thing  to  aim  at.  Yet, 
strange  to  relate,  after  all  their  experience,  they  once 

183 


DARKNESS  COMES  ON 

more  deserted  the  old  and  certain  path,  the  path  by 
which  they  had  mounted,  deeming  the  ridge  neither  expe- 
ditious nor  enough  sheltered  from  the  blasts.  This  time 
it  was  the  west  face  of  the  mountain  they  selected,  over- 
looking the  St.  Gothard  road  far  away  below. 

At  five  hundred  feet  from  the  summit — the  elevation 
still  nearly  ten  thousand  feet  aoove  sea-level,  be  it  remem- 
bered— the  light  failed,  and  it  was  necessarily  the  end  of 
their  day's  travel.  Here  the  benighted  pair  must  spend 
the  long,  dark,  cold  hours,  with  no  fire  to  warm  them  and 
no  food  to  speak  of  to  put  into  their  stomachs.  Not  even 
a  rug  or  a  greatcoat  had  they  to  protect  them  from  the 
severity  of  the  weather  and  the  keenness  of  the  frost. 
The  situation  was  a  deplorable  one.  It  might  become  far 
worse  than  that. 

The  two  were  minded  to  stop  here  rather  than  attempt 
to  grope  a  few  feet  farther  down,  by  the  discovery  of  a 
tiny  ledge  jutting  from  the  rock  slope,  perhaps  the  only 
ledge  to  be  met  with  on  the  whole  face  of  the  mountain. 
The  shelf  was  but  eight  feet  long  and  four  and  a  half 
wide.  From  the  edge  the  cliff  fell  almost  sheer  down  to 
the  valley  beneath.  On  the  danger  side  they  built  a  wall 
of  stones,  half  a  yard  high,  both  to  prevent  a  roll  over- 
board in  their  sleep  and  to  afford  some  little  protection 
from  the  wind.  On  the  fliat  of  the  shelf  they  made  as  soft 
a  bed  as  they  could  with  smooth  stones,  placing  bigger 
specimens  for  their  heads.  The  piece  of  bread  they  had 
left  was  small  enough  in  all  conscience,  yet  they  divided  it 
into  two  portions,  reserving  one  for  breakfast  in  the  morn- 
ing. Water  was  to  be  had  near,  and  the  men  turned 
in  for  the  night. 

184 


A  DANGEROUS  SLEEPING-PLACE 

"  We  were  obliged  to  use  the  greatest  care  in  this 
operation.  First  one  made  himself  comfortable,  then  the 
other  cautiously  placed  himself  alongside  and  endeavoured 
to  do  likewise.  Although  we  agreed  that,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  risk  of  falling  over,  we  would  not  both  slee}) 
with  our  backs  to  the  precipice,  yet  ever  and  anon  as  we 
leaned  a  little  against  our  fragile  wall  of  stones  one  or  two 
of  them  would  become  displaced  and  go  bounding  away 
into  the  valley  some  thousands  of  feet  below.  Thus  we 
reposed,  locked  in  each  other^s  arms  like  the  babes  in  the 
wood,  whom  the  robins  covered  with  leaves,  only  in  the 
present  instance  there  were  no  babes  and  no  wood,  and  no 
robins  and  no  leaves." 

Long  they  lay  awake,  as  may  well  be  supposed.  Yet 
they  were  not  inclined  to  talk  much.  In  truth,  each  was 
disposed  to  reflection  rather  than  to  conversation.  Never, 
Mr.  Kennedy  says,  had  either  of  them  before  felt  so 
immediately  under  the  protection  of  a  Higher  Power  as 
they  did  on  that  lofty  mountain-side.  They  fully  realized 
how  dangerous  their  position  might  become  should  storm 
or  fog  come  on.  They  were  aware  that  their  very  lives 
depended  on  their  preserving  coolness,  self-possession,  and 
determined  pluck.  But  never  once  did  they  lapse  into 
despair. 

The  cold  increased.  Presently  it  grew  intense,  and  the 
two  were  all  but  frozen  stiff.  Often  they  had  to  get  up 
on  their  feet,  as  carefully  as  they  could,  to  stamp  a  little 
warmth  into  them,  and  to  swing  their  arms  about  their 
chests,  as  cabmen  do  in  frosty  weather.  On  more  than 
one  occasion  in  his  life  Mr.  Hardy  had  suffered  from 
rheumatic  fever,  and  he  had  been  warned  against  exposing 

185 


HALF-FROZEN 

himself  too  much  to  the  keen  night  air.  It  may  here  be 
mentioned  that,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  that  night  on  the 
Bristenstock  apparently  effected  a  complete  cure  for  him. 
After  that  he  was  more  robust  than  he  had  ever  been 
before ! 

But  the  lojigest  and  most  uncomfortable  night  passes, 
and  so  did  this.  It  needs  little  imagination  to  see  the 
Englishmen  rising  with  alacrity  from  their  cold,  stony 
bed.  But  so  frozen  were  they  both  that  it  would  have 
been  mere  madness  on  their  part  to  start  at  once,  benumbed 
as  were  their  limbs.  It  required  twenty  minutes  of  violent 
stamping  and  slapping  to  get  any  warmth  and  feeling 
into  their  feet  and  hands.  They  ate  the  last  morsel  of 
bread  before  they  got  under  way,  though  they  had  not 
the  slightest  appetite,  a  thing  not  to  be  wondered  at. 
Drink  they  could  get  none,  the  little  rill  being  frozen  up. 

Now,  as  Mr.  Kennedy  says,  "  one  might  have  supposed 
that  the  lesson  of  yesterday  would  have  sufficed,  and  that 
we  should  have  taken  care  to  follow  the  ridge  by  which 
we  had  ascended.  Not  so,  however.  Instead  of  returning 
to  the  track  which  we  knew,  half  wilfully,  half  carelessly, 
we  suffered  ourselves  to  be  tempted  by  apparently  easy 
places,  and  thus  to  leave  the  ridge  at  every  step  further 
and  further  to  the  right."  They  had  to  pay  the  full 
penalty  of  their  rash  unwisdom.  They  found  the  work  of 
descending  laborious  and  trying  to  a  degree.  They  were, 
of  course,  much  exhausted,  and  they  could  get  no  water 
till  six  o'clock,  and  suffered  terribly  from  thirst. 

The  wearisome  hours  passed,  and  the  men  began  to 
congratulate  themselves  that  they  were  nearing  the  grass 
slopes,  and  that  easy  ground  was  at  hand.     Alas  !  the 

186 


FRIGHTFUL  PRECIPICES 

ridge  on  which  they  were  ended  suddenly  in  sheer  preci- 
pices. Tliey  stopped  short  at  the  very  brink,  and  gazed 
down  at  the  Kiver  Reuss,  a  good  five  thousand  feet 
below. 

The  travellers  here  explain  that  the  Bristenstock  is 
made  up  of  thirty  or  forty  main  ridges,  running  up 
towards  the  top,  of  which  ridges  not  more  than  three  or 
four,  perhaps,  are  practicable.  They,  skirted  the  mountain 
till  they  reached  another  of  these  ridges,  and  attempted  to 
get  down  by  it.  In  no  long  time  they  were  stopped  by 
more  precipices.  They  found  a  running  rill,  however,  and 
obtained  a  much-needed  drink.  A  third,  and  yet  a 
fourth,  of  these  main  ridges  was  tried,  but  always  fruit- 
lessly. Thus  the  morning  was  consumed,  and  noon 
arrived,  the  travellers  apparently  in  as  great  a  difficulty 
as  ever. 

Mr.  Hardy  now  made  a  wise  suggestion — namely,  that 
they  should  keep  on  round  the  mountain  till  they  reached 
the  ridge  by  which  they  had  mounted  the  day  before. 
With  joy  they  perceived,  after  hard  toil,  their  original 
track.  They  found  it  excellent  going  after  the  ground 
they  had  had  to  traverse,  yet  it  was  at  best  but  a  goat- 
track,  and  so  steep  and  risky  that  the  men  dared  not  take 
their  eyes  from  their  work  to  gaze  around.  At  last, 
about  half-past  two  in  the  afternoon,  they  stood  on  the 
first  of  the  grass  slopes,  to  their  utter  relief  and 
thankfulness. 

Up  to  that  moment  they  had  not  been  conscious  of 
hunger  and  fatigue,  but  now  that  the  worst  of  the 
descent,  and  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  danger  was  over,  they 
became  painfully  aware  of  their  physical  condition.     They 

187 


USELESS  GUIDES 

were  still  five  or  six  thousand  feet  above  sea-level^  and 
weary  hours  from  their  hotel.  Push  on  they  must,  how- 
ever gTeat  their  weariness.  On  their  way  down  they  spied 
some  chalets  in  the  distance,  and  joyfully  made  for  them, 
in  the  hope  of  getting  bread  and  milk.  They  found  not  a 
soul  there. 

Meanwhile,  there  was  no  small  stir  at  Amsteg  as  to 
what  had  become  of  the  adventurous  and  rash  Englishmen, 
and  at  length  a  little  party  of  their  friends  set  out  to  look 
for  them.  Guides  were  engaged  to  accompany  the  search 
party,  though,  as  has  been  already  explained,  none  of  the 
guides  knew  any  more  of  the  mountain  than  did  the 
strangers.  And,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  guides  on  this 
occasion  were  found  to  be  quite  useless.  Whenever  they 
came  to  a  dangerous  bit  of  the  mountain  they  drew  back  in 
terror. 

One  of  the  first  to  spy  the  lost  mountaineers  was  an 
English  lad,  who  yelled  out  in  delight,  "  Oh,  is  that  you, 
Mr.  Kennedy  ?  I  am  so  glad  !""  The  meeting  between 
the  lost  ones  and  their  friends  was  warm,  we  may  be  sure, 
and  a  sort  of  triumphal  procession  was  formed  to  the 
hotel.  The  boy  was  specially  anxious  that  the  reputation 
of  his  countrymen  for  pluck  should  be  kept  up,  and, 
accordingly,  Messrs.  Hardy  and  Kennedy  did  their  best  to 
maintain  their  character  in  this  respect.  The  hotel  was 
reached  at  five  o'clock,  or  six-and-thirty  hours  from  the 
start  the  previous  day.  Fortunately  neither  suffered  any 
serious  effects  afterwards  from  the  long  toil  and  the 
exposure  to  cold,  hunger,  and  danger. 

It  is  worth  recording  that  the  most  strange  and 
exaggerated  rumours  respecting  this  ascent  got  abroad, 

188 


A  LUGUBRIOUS  STORY 

and  soon  spread  far  and  wide  in  the  Alpine  districts. 
A  week  later,  for  instance,  Mr.  Hardy  himself  and  his 
friend  Mr.  Ellis  were  at  dinner  at  the  hotel  on  the  distant 
Faulhorn,  when  an  old  gentleman  began  to  tell  of  the 
marvellous  adventures  of  a  couple  of  Englishmen  on  the 
Bristenstock.  The  two  unfortunates  had  perished  miser- 
ably, he  said,  while  attempting  their  unheard-of  feat. 
"  In  fact,"  the  old  fellow  declared,  "  according  to  my 
informant,  nothing  was  found  of  their  mangled  corpses 
except  some  small  particles  of  blood-stained  clothing." 
"  That  I  can  well  understand,"  thereupon  put  in  Mr. 
Hardy,  "for  I  am  one  of  those  unfortunates,  and  I 
remember  that  in  many  parts  of  the  climb  I  was  obliged 
to  sit  down  and  allow  myself  to  slide  over  the  rocks,  so 
that  I  afterwards  found  myself  minus  a  portion  of  my 
nether  integument,  and  these,  no  doubt,  are  the  patches 
of  raiment  the  discovery  of  which  you  relate." 


189 


CHAPTER  XVI 

PEAKS,    GEYSERS,    AND    VOLCANOES 

A  trip  to  Iceland  not  so  common  fifty  years  ago — Commander  Forbes 
starts  on  one  in  1860 — A  jolting  vehicle — A  marvellous  jumble 
of  tilings — A  start  for  the  top  of  Snaefells  Yokul — The  guides 
and  their  families  in  tears — The  snow-line  reached — Also  the  fog 
— At  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees — A  heavy  snowstorm — Ropes 
used — Ugly  crevasses — Guides  strike  work — A  halt  for  lunch — 
Another  climb — Fog  worse  than  ever — A  descent  necessary — The 
ponies  lost — "  Like  a  bear  round  liis  pole  " — On  the  way  to  the 
Great  Geyser — Yawning  fissures  and  abysses — A  tent  rigged  up 
near  the  Geyser — Supper  and  a  final  pipe — A  scramble  to  wind- 
ward just  in  time — A  grand  display — Tlie  ''Strokr"  follows 
suit  at  four  in  the  morning — Forbes  determines  to  cook  the 
dinner  in  the  "  Strokr  " — A  flannel  shirt  and  a  breast  of  mutton 
— "My  shirt  in  raid-air^  arms  extended" — ''Done  to  a  turn  " — A 
narrow  escape  from  Davy  Jones-  Up  Hecla — A  crawl  into  the 
cold  crater  of  1846— Layers  of  ice  at  the  bottom — Descent  into 
the  active  crater — No  hole  at  the  bottom — Steam  from  various 
parts  of  the  sides — Forbes  lights  his  pipe  from  the  hot  ground — 
On  the  edge  of  the  crater — A  risky  crawl — Skaptar  Yokul  and 
its  terrible  work — A  too  rapid  descent. 

A  VISIT  to  Iceland,  once  thought  to  be  quite  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  ordinary  traveller,  is  in  these  days  a  common 
enough  thing.  Not  so  did  Commander  Forbes  esteem  it, 
however,  when,  in  the  year  1860,  he  made  his  way  thither ; 
for  it  had  been  the  dream  of  his  Hfe  to  explore  that  land 
of  volcano   and  geyser.      His  earlier  experiences  in  the 

190 


UNDESIRABLE  LODGINGS 

island  included  nothing  more  exciting  than  a  few  hunting 
and  fishing  expeditions,  when  his  dogs  managed  to  worry 
the  farmers'  sheep,  and  the  driver  of  his  vehicle  contrived  to 
jolt  off  his  gun-case  and  to  smash  his  salmon-rod.  Some  of 
the  country  farms  at  which  he  found  a  lodging,  though  owned 
by  the  most  hospitable  of  hosts,  were  not  exactly  such  as 
even  an  unfastidious  man  would  desire.  The  evening  meal 
was  not  seldom  being  cooked  by  "  a  crone  who  is  not  at  all 
calculated  to  increase  one''s  appetite  by  her  appearance." 
There  was  a  marvellous  jumble  of  things  in  the  dwellings  : 
"old  clothes  and  spinning-jennies,  fishing-nets  and  cradles 
(in  one  a  litter  of  kittens,  in  another  the  hope  of  the 
family),  strings  of  wet  stockings,  and  dogs  at  every  step. 
Happily  they  bark,  but  do  not  bite.  Coupled  with  this  a 
darkness  thoroughly  Egyptian,  and  an  atmosphere  which 
might  be  cut  with  a  knife,  and  you  have  the  ground  floor/*" 
Of  the  upstairs,  or  sleeping-floor,  entered  by  a  ladder  and 
a  little  hatchway,  the  less  said  the  better. 

Amongst  the  important  things  which  the  gallant  Com- 
mander wanted  to  see  in  Iceland,  quite  in  the  front  rank 
stood  the  mountain  Snaefells  Yokul,  the  geysers,  and 
"Strokr,"  with  the  volcano  Hecla,  and  its  once  more 
terrible  brother  Skaptar  Yokul.  The  ascent  of  Snaefells 
Yokul  was  to  begin  the  series.  The  weather  had  been  as 
bad  as  it  well  could  be  for  a  fortnight,  but  the  traveller 
determined  to  make  the  attempt,  in  spite  of  it.  Guides 
in  the  proper  sense  there  were  none,  for  nobody  knew  any- 
thing more  than  himself  of  the  parts  above  the  snow-line. 
He  managed  to  get  a  couple  of  peasants  to  go  with  him, 
however.  The  villagers  evidently  looked  upon  the  expedi- 
tion as  equivalent  to  committing  suicide,  and  many  were 

191 


FOG  AND  SNOW 

the  tears  shed,  and  many  the  mournful  good-bjes,  when 
the  moment  came  for  the  start. 

The  ascent  was  very  steep  for  the  first  two  thousand 
feet,  and  the  way  lay  through  heaps  of  ashes  and  pumice- 
stone,  over  most  of  which  ground  the  little  ponies  bravely 
carried  their  riders.  As  yet  there  was  no  lava,  but  the  ground 
was  without  a  scrap  of  vegetation.  Then,  after  stumb- 
ling amongst  volcanic  accumulations  for  two  or  three 
miles,  the  three  reached  the  snow-line.  With  the  snow 
was  encountered  also  the  fog,  which  threatened  to  become 
tiresome.  From  this  point  the  ponies  were  of  no  use,  and 
they  were  tied  head  to  tail,  in  such  a  fashion  that  they 
could  not  get  far  away,  and  the  men  went  on  without 
them,  first  putting  on  their  spiked  shoes.  The  climbers 
were  chilled  and  stifF  after  their  three  hours'  ride.  Now 
and  then  the  fog  lifted  enough  to  show  them  the  next 
shoulder  of  the  mountain,  but  never  a  glimpse  could  they 
catch  of  the  three  cones  which  constitute  the  summit  of 
Snaefells  Yokul.  On  they  plodded,  up  an  icy  slope  at  an 
angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  and  took  it  as  a  sign  of  good 
luck  when  they  found  a  rusty  horseshoe.  This  was  probably 
a  relic  of  a  former  ascent,  made  fifty  years  before,  by 
Mackenzie. 

With  the  fog  driving  thicker  than  ever  along  the 
mountain-sides,  the  men  pushed  on,  having  no  guide 
except  the  upward  slope,  for  the  Englishman's  pocket- 
compass  was  temporarily  bewitched,  as  he  says,  and  did 
nothing  but  spin  round  and  round  in  an  extraordinary 
way.  Luckily  the  ice  was  free  from  crevasses,  but  as  they 
could  not  see  a  yard  before  them,  the  Commander  thought 
it  best  to  rope,  Alpine  fashion,  a  new  thing  for  the  Ice- 

192 


GUIDES  STRIKE  WORK 

landers.  The  steepness  increased,  and  the  murmurings  of 
the  peasants  also.  Forbes  had  frequently  to  cheer  them 
on,  and  to  give  them  brandy  and  snufF  to  keep  them  going. 
After  passing  one  or  two  ugly  crevasses,  the  Icelanders 
declared  they  would  go  no  farther.  By  this  time  it  was 
snowing  hard,  almost  blinding  the  three.  So  the  leader 
deemed  it  best  to  stop  for  lunch,  hoping  for  an  improve- 
ment in  the  weather  by  the  time  the  meal  was  over. 

Alas  !  the  weather  did  not  improve  ;  and  yet,  as  the  cold 
was  unbearable,  it  was  necessary  to  be  on  the  move  again. 
With  difficulty  the  leader  persuaded  his  men  to  mount  a 
little  higher.  He  had  been  careful  to  make  them  keep 
their  feet  well  embedded  in  snow  all  the  lunch-time — a  very 
necessary  precaution,  if  frost-bites  were  to  be  avoided. 
Soon  the  three  were  wandering  blindly  in  a  labyrinth  of 
snowdrifts  and  yawning  crevasses,  and  the  adventure 
began  to  grow  exciting,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  for  where  they 
were  they  did  not  know  in  the  least.  The  disappointment 
to  Forbes  was  great  and  galling,  but  it  had  to  be  faced. 
It  was  useless  to  persevere  in  the  attempt  to  reach  one  of 
the  cones  of  the  summit,  and  they  must  set  their  faces 
downwards.  His  decision  to  that  effect  sent  the  Ice- 
landers into  ecstasies  of  joy. 

Rapidly,  and  almost  recklessly,  the  three  men  began  to 
slide  down  the  snow-slopes.  Their  track  of  the  morning 
was  long  since  effaced  by  the  falling  snow,  while  the  dense- 
ness  of  the  fog  was  such  that  it  would  not  have  been  easy 
to  trace  the  marks  had  they  remained.  But  Forbes  took 
care  of  his  men,  continuing  the  roping.  Quite  lost  among 
the  hillocks  and  hummocks  of  ashes,  of  lava,  of  snow,  they 
nevertheless  rattled  on  anywhere,  so  long  as  it  was  in  a 

193  N 


THE  GEYSER  DISTRICT 

downward  direction.  When  at  last  they  got  clear  of  the 
snow — and  the  fog  with  it — they  found  themselves  three 
miles  to  the  westward  of  the  point  where  they  had  left 
their  ponies.  But  the  sun  was  bright  and  pleasant,  and 
after  a  good  time  spent  in  the  search,  the  poor  beasts  were 
found  huddled  together,  and  almost  buried  in  the  snow 
that  had  fallen  upon  them.  The  descent  to  the  village 
and  their  reception  there  were  the  most  cheerful  imaginable. 
Commander  Forbes,  however,  was  mightily  chagrined  by 
his  failure,  and  for  days  afterwards  he  prowled  about  the 
foot  of  the  mountain  like  a  bear  round  his  pole.  But  it 
was  of  no  use  ;  the  weather  would  not  mend,  and  he  had 
to  take  his  departure  from  the  locality. 

Then  began  his  journey  towards  the  Geyser  district,  and 
a  very  rough  journey  it  proved.  One  pitch-dark  night  it 
was  necessary  to  get  a  guide  to  see  them  safely  past  the 
"  winding  fissures  and  abysses  which  yawned  in  every 
direction."  The  fissures,  he  says,  were  "  as  numerous  and 
very  similar  to  the  cracks  in  the  rind  of  an  overripe 
melon,  only  that  they  are  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  deep, 
until  the  surface  of  the  water  is  reached,  which  again, 
from  its  azure  hue,  may  be  of  any  depth."  Not  a  thing  was 
visible,  and  it  was  only  by  trusting  blindly  to  the  little 
Iceland  ponies  that  it  was  possible  to  come  in  safety  out  of 
such  a  maze  of  difficulties. 

Fording  many  an  icy  cold  river,  struggling  across  broad 
marshes,  toiling  over  mountain  shoulders,  crossing  lava- 
fields,  our  traveller  at  length,  rounding  a  corner  of  a  hill, 
came  in  sight  of  the  steam  of  the  Great  Geyser.  He  left 
his  ponies  at  a  farm  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  But 
he  had  no  intention  of  spending  the  night  there  himself; 

194 


NEAR  THE  GREAT  GEYSER 

he  wanted  to  be  nearer  the  scene  of  action.  A  couple  of 
tents  had  been  left  here  by  a  generous-hearted  Frenchman 
for  the  benefit  of  future  travellers  to  the  spot,  and  one  of 
these  Forbes  ordered  to  be  canied  along  to  the  Geyser. 
Then  he  himself  stumbled  over  the  rough  ground  to  the 
place.  The  water  was  bubbling  in  the  funnel,  and  clouds 
of  steam  were  coming  off  and  being  driven  before  the 
wind,  and  from  every  orifice  little  jets  of  hot  water  escaped, 
while  around,  "a  slough  of  blue  mud  was  bubbling  and 
simmering,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  one  was  soon 
ankle-deep  in  hot  clay.  Passing  the  '  Strokr,'  in  violent 
paroxysms,  I  crossed  the  grass-plat  which  curiously  inter- 
venes, and,  ascending  its  regularly  formed  cone,  stood  on 
the  edge  of  the  Great  Geyser,  full  to  the  brim,  bubbling 
and  seething  in  its  centre,  and  heralding  an  approaching 
eruption  by  repeated  subterranean  detonations,  which 
vibrated,  not  only  through  its  immediate  framework,  but 
the  surrounding  soil.'" 

Near  this  the  Englishman  set  up  his  tent,  putting- 
plenty  of  dry  hay  on  the  floor.  It  was  pitched  in  such  a 
position  that  the  water  and  steam  would  be  carried  away 
from  it  in  case  of  an  eruption,  but  he  was  not  at  all  easy 
about  it.  The  farmer  declared  the  Geyser  would  behave 
well,  and  they  went  in  to  supper,  after  which  the  Com- 
mander was  left  for  the  night.  He  had  just  lit  his  last 
pipe  before  dropping  off  to  sleep,  when  suddenly  "the 
earth  yearned  under  me  to  a  wild  detonating  chorus  from 
below.  I  scrambled  out  just  in  time  to  be  enveloped 
in  volumes  of  steam,  and  to  hear  the  trickle  of  the  waters 
which  overflowed  their  limits,  and  had  scarcely  groped  my 
way  to  windward  of  the  basin,  when  in  one  frantic  effort 

195 


A  GRAND  DISPLAY 

it  belched  forth  its  boihng  bowels  in  a  massive  column 
about  sixty  feet  in  height,  and,  radial  inn;  at  its  climax, 
showered  bouquets  of  water  and  vapour  in  every  direction."" 
Tlien,  as  if  exhausted,  the  waters  sank  to  rest,  and  the 
watcher  followed  their  example. 

The  Great  Geyser  made  two  or  three  more  little  de- 
monstrations during  the  night,  but  they  proved  false 
alarms.  About  four  in  the  morning,  however,  the 
"  Strokr,"  lying  a  hundred  yards  or  so  away,  had  its  turn. 
It  had  no  cone,  the  orifice  being  level  with  the  ground,  so 
that  a  short-sighted  man  might  almost  have  walked  into 
it  before  he  was  aware.  For  thirty-seven  minutes  did  the 
"  Strokr "  keep  up  its  ornamental  display,  the  forms  the 
water  assumed  being  much  more  graceful,  if  less  lofty, 
than  those  of  the  Great  Geyser. 

Now,  the  "  Strokr ""'  is  of  an  irritable  nature,  and  can 
easily  be  tormented  into  angry  convulsions.  Forbes  de- 
termined to  take  advantage  of  this  propensity  in  a  novel 
way.  He  invited  the  parson  and  the  squire  to  his  tent, 
had  brandy  and  coffee  sent  in,  and  then  promised  his 
friends  a  hot  dinner.  He  took  his  spare  clean  flannel 
shirt,  and  in  it  he  placed  a  breast  of  mutton,  while  a 
brace  of  ptarmigan  were  also  tied  up,  one  in  each  sleeve. 
His  next  step  was  to  gather  a  goodish  pile  of  turf  and 
place  it  close  to  the  mouth  of  the  funnel.  He  estimated 
for  a  forty-minute  dose  of  turf,  he  tells  us.  When  all 
was  ready,  he  kicked  in  his  pile,  and  then  flung  his  shirt 
and  its  contents  after  the  turf.  While  the  cooking  was 
going  on  down  below,  the  coffee  was  kept  warm  by  the 
geyser,  and  the  friends  took  a  little  brandy  together, 
Northern  fashion. 

196 


DONE  TO  A  TURN 

The  forty  minutes  passed,  but  no  sign  of  an  eruption, 
and  the  cook  grew  anxious  about  his  mutton.  He  began 
to  get  ready  another  pile  of  turf  to  administer.  But  it 
was  not  needed  ;  only  seven  minutes  after  time  the  dinner- 
bell  sounded  —  to  wit,  the  geyser  began  to  be  noisy. 
Then  "  came  a  tremendous  eruption,  and,  surrounded  with 
steam  and  turf-clods,  I  beheld  my  shirt  in  mid-air,  arms 
extended,  like  a  headless  and  tailless  trunk.  It  fell  life- 
less by  the  brink.  But  we  were  not  to  dine  yet ;  so  well 
corked  had  been  the  steam-pipe  below  that  it  let  out  with 
more  than  usual  viciousness,  and  forbade  dishing  up  under 
pain  of  scalding.  After  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  a 
temporary  lull,  I  recovered  my  garment,  and  turned  out 
my  dinner  on  the  grass  before  my  grave  guests.''  The 
mutton  was  done  to  a  turn ;  the  ptarmigan  overcooked ; 
the  shirt  not  a  penny  the  worse,  save  that  the  dye  had  run. 

On  his  way  to  Hecla,  up  which  he  meant  to  go,  if 
possible,  Forbes  had  to  cross  the  Thiorsa,  the  longest  and 
biggest  river  in  the  island — as  long  as  the  Thames,  in  fact. 
The  fen-yman  had  to  be  fetched  from  a  hayfield  ;  then  the 
best  of  three  crazy  boats  was  chosen,  and  the  men  got 
into  it.  The  ponies  were  to  swim  behind,  if  they  could 
be  induced  to  do  so.  Forbes  had  with  him  a  farmer  and 
a  guide,  and  hard  work  it  was  to  persuade  their  beasts  to 
take  the  water.  They  had  fairly  to  be  pulled  in,  and 
then  towed  behind.  It  took  the  guide  all  his  time  to  bail 
out  the  water,  so  badly  did  the  craft  leak.  And  there 
was  another  danger  ahead :  not  far  away  the  river  leapt 
down  a  cataract,  and  the  boat  was  coming  perilously  near. 
However,  the  men  managed  to  ground  it  on  the  further 
shore  just  in  time  to  prevent  men  and  beasts  from  going 

197 


UP  HECLA 

over.  A  pleasant  gallop  of  nearly  twenty  miles,  and  the 
fording  of  another  river,  brought  the  party  fairly  to  the 
foot  of  the  famous  volcano,  where  the  night  was  spent. 

Next  morning  in  good  time  the  traveller  was  on  his 
way  up  Hecla,  accompanied  by  a  farmer  of  the  neighbour- 
hood as  guide.  As  in  the  case  of  Snaefells  Yokul,  the 
trusty  Iceland  ponies  carried  the  men  to  the  snow-line ; 
as  before,  too,  the  animals  were  left,  tied  head  to  tail,  to 
await  their  master's  return.  There  was  a  little  mist  cling- 
ing about  the  upper  parts  of  the  mountain,  but  otherwise 
the  day  was  fine.  After  an  hour  or  two  of  hard  climbing 
up  a  very  steep  face,  the  two  men  reached  an  old  cone, 
now  not  in  action,  or,  rather,  they  reached  a  sort  of  vent- 
hole  in  the  side  of  it.  Along  this  dark  tunnel  they  made 
their  way,  till  at  length  the  light  appeared,  and  they 
emerged  into  the  crater.  To  the  Englishman's  surprise, 
there  was  not  the  slightest  trace  of  heat  about  this  disused 
cone  of  1846,  and,  indeed,  the  bottom  of  the  crater  was 
covered  with  a  considerable  thickness  of  ice.  The  cup 
was  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  deep,  and  its  sides  were  far 
too  steep  to  be  climbed,  so  the  two  men  had  perforce  to 
make  their  way  back  through  the  same  dark  hole. 

Commander  Forbes  was  not  going  to  be  satisfied  without 
a  peep  into  an  active  crater,  so  he  and  his  companion 
continued  their  steep  upward  scramble.  At  noon  they 
had  gained  the  summit  of  that  one  of  the  three  cones 
which  was  in  working  order,  and  standing  on  the  brink  of 
the  crater,  they  looked  down  into  a  hollow  nearly  circular 
and  about  half  a  mile  in  circumference,  the  depth  being 
apparently  between  two  and  three  hundred  feet.  From 
various  parts  of  the  sides  of  this  vast  hole  little  clouds 

198 


DESCENT  INTO  THE  CRATER 

of  steam  were  ascending.  There  was  some  snow  lying 
unmelted  in  one  or  two  parts,  but  the  main  portion  was 
bare  and  black. 

The  Englishman,  under  the  guidance  of  the  farmer, 
descended  cautiously  into  this  forbidding  hollow.  So 
much  the  shape  of  a  funnel  was  the  crater,  that  at  the 
bottom  it  came  almost  to  a  point.  There  was  no  hole 
down  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  as,  perhaps,  the  visitor 
had  expected  ;  on  the  contrary,  and  much  to  his  wonder- 
ment, there  was  a  deposit  of  dried  mud  there,  with  a 
thickness  of  ice  on  the  top  of  it.  Yet  a  glance  around 
showed  many  smoking  portions  along  the  steep  sides  of 
the  cup.  At  one  such  place,  about  half-way  down,  and 
amongst  incrustations  of  sulphur,  Forbes  began  to  dig 
away  the  crust.  He  soon  found  the  ground  hot  enough 
to  light  a  fusee,  and,  later  on,  his  pipe.  He  sat  down — in 
a  somewhat  cooler  place,  of  course — and,  gazing  around, 
began  to  think  that  after  all  it  was  not  in  the  least  a 
fearful  thing  to  sit  in  the  very  crater  of  one  of  the  chief 
European  volcanoes. 

But  when  he  reflected  that  for  nine  centuries  this  same 
crater  had,  time  after  time,  belched  forth  its  fires  with 
terrible  destruction  ;  that  at  the  last  eruption  but  one — in 
the  year  1766 — it  had  hurled  "its  red-hot  stones  to  an 
almost  fabulous  distance,  and  powdered  the  southern  and 
central  districts  with  sand,  some  of  which  had  almost 
reached  the  Faroes" — when  he  called  all  this  to  mind,  he 
was  disposed  to  feel  much  more  respect  for  the  mountain. 
As  for  the  farmer,  he  shook  his  head ;  he  had  lost  not 
only  property,  but  ancestors,  in  eruptions  from  that  very 
spot  where  they  were  sitting. 

199 


A  RISKY  CRAWL 

Now  creeping  with  difficulty  up  the  rough,  steep  sides, 
they  came  out  once  more  upon  the  edge  of  the  crater,  and 
crawled  along  it  to  the  northern  side  of  the  summit. 
Their  position  on  this  narrow  ledge  was  anything  but  a 
safe  one.  On  the  one  hand,  the  ground  sloped  pre- 
cipitously down  to  the  bottom  of  the  crater  they  had  just 
left;  on  the  other,  for  at  least  a  thousand  feet,  the 
mountain  -  side  dropped  almost  sheer.  Moreover,  the 
footing  was  loose  and  rickety,  and  only  fit  for  a  chamois, 
Forbes  tells  us.  And  when  their  feet  displaced  any  of 
the  loose  stuff  on  which  they  were  treading,  it  darted  off' 
on  its  downward  way  at  a  terrific  rate.  They  saw  the 
other  two  cones  not  far  away,  but  no  other  crater  on 
Hecla.  The  eastern  face  of  the  mountain  to  which  they 
proceeded  was  truly  awful,  for  three  thousand  feet  it  was 
wellnigh  perpendicular. 

The  view  from  the  top  of  the  famous  volcano  was 
magnificent.  Peak  after  peak  could  they  see ;  vast  ice- 
fields stretched  over  whole  districts ;  other  volcano  cones 
stood  out  here  and  there ;  his  old  friend,  the  Great  Geyser, 
showed  himself  in  spotless  white.  But  there  was  one  peak 
on  which  the  stranger^s  eye  rested  in  fascination — namely, 
the  terrible  Skaptar  Yokul,  which  had  wrought  the  fright- 
ful destruction  remembered  by  Icelanders  then  living. 

It  was  in  the  year  1783  that  this  fearful  eruption  of 
Skaptar  Yokul  took  place,  and  it  was  one  of  the  most 
dreadful  catastrophes  of  the  kind  in  n)odern  times.  "  In 
one  gigantic  effort  it  destroyed  twenty  villages,  over  nine 
thousand  human  beings,  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  sheep,  cattle,  and  horses,  partly  by  the  depreda- 
tions of  the  lava  and  noxious  vapours,  and  in  part  by 

200 


A  TOO  RAriD  DESCENT 

famine,  caused  by  showers  of  ashes  and  the  desertion  of  the 
coasts  by  the  fish/'' 

The  descent  to  the  ponies  came  near  to  having  a  tragic 
ending.  Forbes  began  to  descend  en  glissade,  and  the 
farmer,  not  to  be  outdone,  attempted  the  same  feat. 
Alas!  he  wore  moccasins,  and  thus  had  no  grip  on  the 
soft  snow.  "  He  was  soon  making  headlong  tracks  for  the 
lava-field  beneath,  whilst  I  with  bated  breath  quivered  for 
the  result,  and  I  was  inexpressibly  relieved  when  he  brought 
up  in  a  snowdrift  a  few  yards  from  total  destruction/' 


201 


CHAPTER  XVII 

WITH    TYNDALL    ON    THE    WEISSHORN 

Alpine  ascents  belong  to  recent  times  only — Professor  Tyndall 
determines  to  try  the  hitherto  unconqiiered  and  queenly 
Weisshorn — The  start  with  two  guides — The  effect  of  a  draught 
of  milk — The  bivouac  on  the  mountain — An  early  morning 
start — Difficulties — The  two  rock  towers — A  fearful  cleft — 
A  risky  crossing  on  a  snow-covered  rock-wall — Avalanches  of 
stones — The  peak  apparently  no  nearer — Renewed  efforts — 
Despair — The  climbers  take  heart  again — At  last  the  summit 
within  reach — Tlie  mountain  conquered — An  improvised  flag — 
The  descent  begun — The  men  stupefied  with  fatigue — The  rock- 
wall  again — Fearful  slopes — A  difficult  precipice — A  second 
precipice — An  extraordinary  fall  of  stones — A  third  precipice — 
**  Where  a  chamois  can  ascend  a  man  may  descend" — Safe  down 
at  last. 

A  COUPLE  of  hundred  years  back  the  great  mountains  were 
objects  of  dread  and  horror,  terrible  and  fatal  monsters  to 
be  avoided.  Did  fate  compel  our  forefathers  to  traverse 
the  wild  gorge,  or  to  struggle  over  the  lofty  storm-swept 
pass,  their  sole  thought  was  how  they  should  best  and 
soonest  get  themselves  safely  aAvay  from  such  dread  spots. 
The  notion  of  ascending  a  mighty  Alpine  ipeak  for  pleasure 
had  scarce  entered  the  heart  of  man  two  or  three  genera- 
tions ago.  Even  forty  or  fifty  years  since  many  of  the 
proud  summits  had  never  been  trodden  by  the  foot  of  man 
— the  Weisshorn,  the  Aiguille   du   Dru,  the  marvellous 

202 


PIONEER  MOUNTAIN-CLIMBERS 

Matterhoin.  Now  there  is  not  a  giant  snow-capped  peak 
among  them  all  which  has  not  been  scaled  by  daring 
mountaineers. 

In  these  achievements  no  mean  part  has  been  played  by 
our  British  countrymen.  More  than  one  of  the  most 
inaccessible  and  dangerous  of  the  Alps  have  been  first 
reached  by  hardy  mountaineers  from  these  Britannic 
islands — a  Whymper,  a  Tyndall,  a  Conway.  And  there 
are  many  more  whose  names  are  worthy  to  stand  with 
these. 

It  was  in  the  year  1861  that  there  came  to  Professor 
Tyndall  the  ambition  of  ascending  the  beautiful  Weiss- 
horn,  "an  object  scarcely  less  grand,  conveying,  it  maybe, 
even  a  deeper  impression  of  majesty  and  might,  than  the 
Matterhorn  itself  —  the  Weisshorn,  perhaps  the  most 
splendid  object  in  the  Alps." 

Many  had  been  the  attempts  to  master  this  grand 
mountain,  "  by  brave  and  competent  men,"  too,  but  it  had 
never  been  scaled,  and  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  a 
successful  ascent  were  said  to  be  enormous,  if  not  insur- 
mountable. It  was  not  that  the  AVeisshorn  is  the  highest 
of  the  Alpine  peaks  ;  it  is  a  thousand  feet  lower  than  the 
kingly  Mont  Blanc.  But  then,  as  Tyndall  says,  "  height 
is  but  one  element  in  the  difficulty  of  a  mountain." 

The  professor  started  from  Randa,  taking  with  him  two 
guides — Bencn,  one  of  the  most  competent  and  trust- 
worthy of  his  class,  and  Wenger.  It  was  an  hour  after 
midday,  and  the  party  proposed  to  spend  the  night  on  a 
ledge  of  rock  that  had  been  selected  for  their  bivouac. 
Tyndall  had  been  not  at  all  well  the  previous  evening,  and 
he  was  in  but  indifferent  condition  for  an  expedition  so 

203 


BIVOUAC  ON  THE  MOUNTAIN 

arduous.  Luckily,  on  the  way  up  the  lower  slopes  he  was 
able  to  obtain  from  a  chalet  copious  draughts  of  fresh 
milk  to  quench  the  burning  thirst  from  which  he  suffered. 
The  effect  was  as  satisfactory  as  it  was  astonishing,  and 
the  climber  went  on  his  way  another  man,  ready  for  any 
work  that  might  come  to  him. 

A  couple  of  hours  later  the  resting-place  for  the  night 
was  reached.  A  ledge  jutted  out  from  the  rock-face,  and 
it  was  beneath  this  the  men  camped.  It  was  a  grand 
vantage-ground,  commanding  a  full  and  magnificent  view 
of  peak  after  peak.  Their  goal  for  the  morrow,  the 
summit  of  the  lovely  Weisshorn  itself,  was  not  to  be  seen 
from  that  exact  spot,  but  Tyndall  and  Benen  managed 
before  retiring  to  rest,  to  get  a  view  of  the  peak  from 
another  standpoint,  not  far  away  from  the  camp.  And  to 
tell  the  truth,  this  sight  of  the  mountain-top  rather  dis- 
mayed them,  so  remote  and  so  inaccessible  did  it  appear. 
However,  after  a  supper  of  toasted  cheese  and  coffee  the 
men  turned  in,  Tyndall  wriggling  himself  into  the  two 
sacks  he  had  had  made  from  rugs.  But  not  to  sleep,  for 
hardly  once  did  the  professor  lose  consciousness  of  what 
was  passing  around.  The  "unspeakably  grand"  sunset 
was  succeeded  by  a  magnificent  display  of  stars.  Then 
the  air  grew  cold,  too  cold  to  admit  of  sleep — at  any  rate, 
for  the  Englishman.  In  truth  he  was  presently  chilled  to 
the  bone,  and  had  much  ado  to  endure  till  Benen  gave  the 
signal  to  rise. 

By  half-past  three  the  party  had  had  early  morning 
coffee  and  were  on  their  way  again.  Crossing  the  white, 
cold  drifts  and  a  stretch  of  tangled  glacier,  they  reached  a 
couloir,  which  was  full  of  hard-frozen  snow.     This  they 

204 


DIFFICULTIES 

had  after  a  time  to  leave,  to  take  to  the  rocks.  Then 
came  a  saddle  of  snow,  and  after  that  still  higher  rocks, 
where  they  had  two  hours  of  severe  climbing,  "  the  bend- 
ing, twisting,  reaching,  and  drawing-up,  calling  upon  all 
the  muscles  of  the  frame."  From  their  ridge  they  could 
spy  a  couple  of  men  far  below.  Many  climbers  at  Randa 
had  been  desirous  of  accompanying  the  Englishman,  but 
he  had  judged  it  better  to  go  without  them.  The  men 
below  were  no  doubt  two  of  the  disappointed  ones. 

But  greater  difficulties  were  at  hand.  At  one  point, 
standing  on  a  sort  of  rocky  tower,  they  found  themselves 
facing  a  similar  tower,  and  between  the  two  a  deep,  yawn- 
ing gap.  It  seemed  as  if  all  farther  progress  was  now  out 
of  the  question.  But  Benen  was  equal  to  the  occasion. 
Coiling  the  rope  round  his  waist,  he  managed  to  scramble 
to  the  bottom  of  the  great  cleft — a  wonderful  performance. 
Where  one  man  had  gone  others  might  follow,  and  in  due 
time  both  Tyndall  and  Wenger  also  stood  at  the  bottom. 
Then  came  the  task  of  scaling  the  opposing  rock-tower, 
and  a  most  difficult  and  exhausting,  if  not  a  dangerous, 
piece  of  work  it  was  found  to  be.  Once  up,  the  men  took 
to  the  arete,  or  a  sloping  corner  ridge  of  the  mountain.  A 
long  pull  on  this  at  length  brought  them  to  a  place  risky 
indeed. 

The  arete  had  gradually  become  narrower  and  narrower, 
till  now  it  had  shrunk  to  the  breadth  of  a  mere  wall.  The 
top  of  this  wall  was  hidden  by  a  covering  of  snow. 
Imagine  the  position.  For  fully  twenty  yards  this  snow- 
covered  ledge  ran  on,  till  it  reached  the  next  rocks.  The 
precipices  on  either  hand  were  almost  sheer,  and  ran  down 
to  frightful  depths.     It  seemed  mere  madness  to  stand  on 

205 


A  RISKY  CROSSING 

the  knife-edge  of  snow,  which  would  surely  give  way  in 
a  moment  and  hurl  the  adventurer  to  the  abyss  below. 
Tyndall  had  no  notion  that  any  human  being  would  trust 
himself  on  such  a  place.  But  he  Avas  soon  undeceived,  for, 
to  his  astonishment,  Benen,  first  trying  the  snow  with  his 
foot,  calmly  began  to  walk  across.  "  Even  after  the  pressure 
of  his  feet  the  space  he  had  to  stand  on  did  not  exceed  a 
hand  breath.  I  followed  him,  exactly  as  a  boy  walking 
along  a  horizontal  pole,  with  toes  turned  outwards. 
Right  and  left  the  precipices  were  appalling ;  but  the 
sense  of  power  on  such  occasions  is  exceedingly  sweet.  We 
reached  the  opposite  rock,  and  here  a  smile  rippled  over 
Benen's  countenance  as  he  turned  towards  me.  He  knew 
that  he  had  done  a  daring  thing." 

And  now  a  danger  of  a  new  kind  had  to  be  faced.  The 
rocks  on  the  ridge  were  much  shattered  and  very  loose.  It 
required  extreme  care  to  avoid  setting  some  of  them 
rolling  down  the  steep.  The  thing  was  not  to  be  avoided, 
in  fact,  and  great  masses  of  rock  were  from  time  to  time 
dislodged.  These  in  their  flight  downwards  set  in  motion 
others,  till  at  length  numbers  of  them  were  hissing  and 
booming  with  ever-increasing  speed  down  the  mountain- 
side, to  rest  only  when  they  had  reached  the  vast  snow- 
fields,  thousands  of  feet  below.  The  risk  to  those  follow- 
ing, if  the  first  climber  set  going  in  their  direction  any  of 
the  loose  rocks  he  met  with,  was  naturally  very  great. 
However,  with  care  and  success  the  men  toiled  on,  though 
the  heat  was  so  intolerable  as  to  cause  profusest  perspiration. 

On  their  way  up  the  mountain  they  were  for  the  most 
part  unable  to  see  the  summit,  but  now  and  then  they 
caught  a  glimpse  of  it  from  some  coign  of  vantage.     Such 

206 


Crossing  the  knife  edge  during  the  VVeisshorn  ascent 

The  foothold  was  like  the  to{)  of  an  immensely  high  wall.     The  mountaineers  had  to 
walk  about  twenty  yards  with  almost  sheer  precipices  on  either  hand. 


THE  PEAK  FAR  DISTANT 

an  occasion  came  after  they  had  been  three  hours  on  the 
arete, — that  is,  five  hours  from  the  morning  start.  It 
seemed  not  so  far  distant,  and  both  guides  and  employer 
were  in  good  heart  at  the  sight.  Never  were  appearances 
more  deceptive.  Three  more  hours  of  heavy  work  on  the 
arete  brought  another  glimpse  of  the  crown.  The  moun- 
taineers were  taken  aback  ;  the  top  appeared  not  a  whit 
nearer.  AVith  keen  dismay  they  gazed  on  the  far-oif  peak. 
Benen's  face  declared  his  thoughts,  while  Wenger's 
condition  had  become  so  unsatisfactory  that  the  others 
proposed  to  leave  him  behind  while  they  went  on  without 
him.  But  of  this  the  plucky  fellow  would  not  hear,  and, 
indeed,  none  of  the  men  had  the  least  thought  of  giving  in, 
at  any  rate  for  the  present. 

On  the  three  went  again,  therefore,  plodding  wearily 
towards  another  pinnacle  ahead,  from  which  they  judged 
they  would  be  able  to  see  the  summit  once  more.  With 
what  eagerness  mingled  with  anxiety  did  they,  after  long 
and  severe  toil,  gain  the  spot !  Alas  !  the  summit  now 
appeared  "  hopelessly  distant."  Even  Benen  gave  way  for 
the  moment  to  despair. 

"  Dear  sir,""  he  cried,  "  the  peak  is  still  far  away  up 
there !" 

At  this  point  Tyndall  thought  it  well  to  intimate  that 
he  was  ready  to  abandon  the  attempt  and  return  to  Randa. 
This  he  did  lest  Benen,  in  his  anxiety  to  please  his 
employer,  should  be  led  to  go  on  imprudently.  However, 
Benen  took  food,  and  a  good  drink  of  wine,  feeling 
wonderfully  better  at  once.  He  took  another  look  at 
the  far-away  peak ;  hope  returned  to  him,  and  he  cried 
firmly : 

207 


SUMMIT  WITHIN  REACH 

"  Sir,  we  must  win  it  T' 

Tyndall  was  delighted,  feeling  how  like  this  was  to  the 
British  spirit  which  does  not  know  when  it  is  beaten. 
Such  thoughts,  he  declares,  helped  to  lift  him  over  the  rocks. 

Then  at  it  again  with  a  will,  the  course  directed  towards 
another  eminence  in  the  distance,  from  which  it  was 
believed  that  yet  once  more  a  view  would  be  gained  of  the 
top.  The  toilers  had  their  reward.  When  once  the  height 
had  been  scaled,  "  above  us,  but  clearly  within  reach,  a 
silvery  pyramid  projected  itself  against  the  blue  sky.  I  was 
assured  by  my  companions  that  it  was  the  highest  point 
before  I  ventured  to  stake  my  faith  upon  the  assertion.  I 
feared  that  it  also  might  take  rank  with  the  illusions  which 
had  so  often  beset  our  ascent,  and  shrunk  from  the  conse- 
quent moral  shock." 

The  guides  were  right,  as  happily  it  proved.  Wearied, 
but  in  good  heart,  the  three  crept  up  the  long  knife-edge 
of  pure,  white  snow  that  terminated  in  a  little  point.  The 
point  was  gained ;  an  eager  look  around  followed  ;  there 
was  no  part  of  the  mountain  now  above  them.  Their  feet 
stood  on  the  very  summit  of  the  queenly  and  hitherto 
unconquered  Weisshorn  !  It  was  a  glorious  moment,  and 
the  guides  relieved  their  excited  feelings  by  mad  shouts  and 
yells,  again  and  again  repeated.  Far  below,  on  a  crag,  the 
other  two  men  from  Randa  could  be  seen,  and  shouts  of 
triumph  were  sent  down  to  them. 

Tyndall  and  his  men  had  no  flag,  so  a  makeshift  in  the 
shape  of  an  axe-handle  with  a  red  pocket-handkerchief 
attached  was  fixed  in  the  snow,  and  it  was  seen  from  the 
Riffel  Hotel,  some  days  later,  by  the  professor  himself  and 
his  friend  Mr.  Francis  Galton. 

208 


THE  DESCENT 

But  it  is  one  thing  to  get  up  such  a  mountain  as  the 
Weisshorn  ;  it  is  often  quite  another,  and  sometimes  even 
a  more  difficult,  thing  to  get  down  again,  and  so  the  three 
men  found  it.  They  had  been  climbing  continuously  for 
ten  hours  since  their  early  morning  turn-out  of  camp ; 
they  were  weary  and  stiff  to  a  degree.  Yet  the  day  was 
advancing  rapidly,  and  it  behoved  them  to  make  all  speed 
down.  Their  success  at  first  acted  like  a  stimulant  to 
them ;  they  descended  merrily,  and  fancied  they  would 
do  the  return  journey  both  quickly  and  easily — a  huge 
mistake,  as  was  subsequently  proved. 

With  stiffened  muscles  they  plodded  along,  however, 
almost  in  a  state  of  numbness,  if  not  of  stupefaction. 
The  roar  of  the  stones  which  they  began  to  loosen  in  their 
descent,  at  length  awoke  them  from  their  half-conscious 
state.  Then  came  the  narrow  band  of  snow  on  the  top  of 
the  wall-like  ridge,  and  this  was  safely  crossed,  dangerous 
as  the  crossing  was  in  their  present  condition.  A 
long  spell  on  the  mountain-slope  followed.  Here  step- 
cutting  had  to  be  resorted  to,  though  Benen  had  scarce 
strength  left  to  swing  his  axe.  The  slopes  were  fear- 
fully steep ;  they  seemed  of  interminable  length ;  many 
of  them  ended  in  sheer  precipices  down  which  a  fall 
would  be  fatal.  "Take  care  not  to  slip,""  the  leading 
guide  admonished  his  companions,  as  indeed  well  he  might. 
Oddly  enough,  Tyndal]  seems  to  have  greatly  under- 
estimated the  danger  of  a  slip,  imagining  that  he  would 
be  able  to  recover  himself  before  he  shot  over  the  fatal 
precipice  below.  But  Benen's  emphatic  "  No .  it  would 
be  utterly  impossible !"  showed  the  Englishman  how  mis- 
taken his  belief  was.     It  is  certain  that  had    any  man 

209  0 


DANGEROUS  FEATS 

slipped   in   such   a   place   it    would    have    cost   him   his 
Ufe. 

An  extraordinary  variety  of  difficulties  and  dangerous 
feats  succeeded  for  the  mountaineering  party.  At  one 
time  they  had  to  drop  cautiously  from  ledge  to  ledge 
crossing  their  path.  At  another  spot  Benen,  hanging  by 
his  hands  to  the  rocks,  body  in  air,  felt  with  his  feet  for 
some  projection  on  which  he  might  put  his  weight,  and 
presently  dropped  with  extreme  caution  on  to  a  ledge  so 
narrow  that  the  slightest  extra  movement  would  have 
thrown  him  off,  and  so  to  the  abysses  below.  A  wet 
couloir  followed ;  this  they  were  obliged  to  abandon. 
Another  and  drier  couloir  was  tried,  but  this,  too,  they 
found  it  advisable  to  get  out  of  with  all  speed.  They 
were  only  just  in  time,  for  down  came  clattering  a  deadly 
avalanche  of  stones  along  the  very  trough  they  had  left. 

Wenger  was  now  sent  to  lead,  because  of  his  long  legs, 
which  were  likely  to  set  the  pace  better.  But  the  way 
became  ever  more  difficult,  and  at  length  the  party  were 
brought  up  by  what  seemed  an  impossible  precipice.  It 
appeared  to  run  like  a  huge  wall  all  round  the  mountain, 
so  far  as  could  be  seen.  It  was  only  after  a  long  detour 
that  a  risky,  but  still  a  possible,  descent  was  found.  In 
no  long  time  a  second,  and  this  time  an  overhanging, 
precipice  stopped  all  farther  progress.  In  vain  did  the 
men  cast  their  eyes  around  for  a  way  of  escape ;  it  seemed 
certain  they  would  have  to  reascend  some  portion  of  the 
mountain-flank.  But  how  in  their  exhausted  and  almost 
demoralized  condition  ? 

Whilst  the  mountaineers  were  standing  here  dis- 
heartened, if  not  despairing,  they  were  witnesses  of  a  very 

210 


GREAT  FALL  OF  STONES 

extraordinary  spectacle,  which,  Tyndall  says,  was  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  things  he  had  ever  set  eyes  upon. 
He  describes  it  in  his  own  graphic  way : 

"  Whilst  we  stood  pondering  here,  a  deep  and  confused 
roar  attracted  our  attention.  From  a  point  near  the 
summit  of  the  Weisshorn  a  rock  had  been  discharged ; 
it  plunged  down  a  dry  couloir,  raising  a  cloud  of  dust  at 
each  bump  against  the  mountain.  A  hundred  similar 
ones  were  immediately  in  motion,  while  the  spaces  between 
the  larger  masses  were  filled  by  an  innumerable  flight  of 
smaller  stones.  Each  of  them  shakes  its  quantum  of  dust 
in  the  air,  until  finally  the  avalanche  is  enveloped  in  a 
vast  cloud.  The  clatter  of  this  devil's  cavalry  was  stun- 
ning. Black  masses  of  rock  emerged  here  and  there  from 
the  cloud,  and  sped  through  the  air  like  flying  fiends. 
Their  motion  was  not  one  of  translation  merely,  but  they 
whizzed  and  vibrated  in  their  flight  as  if  urged  by  wings. 
The  clang  of  echoes  resounded  from  side  to  side,  from  the 
Schallenberg  to  the  Weisshorn  and  back,  until  finally  the 
whole  troop  came  to  rest,  after  many  a  deep-sounding 
thud  in  the  snow,  at  the  bottom  of  the  mountain."  And 
the  professor  emphatically  warns  all  future  climbers  of 
the  Weisshorn  to  avoid  that  side  of  the  mountain,  except 
on  one  of  the  aretes.  "At  any  moment,"  he  declares, 
"the  mountain-side  may  be  raked  by  a  fire  as  deadly  as 
that  of  cannon." 

But  the  three  men  were  still  on  the  top  of  the  fearsome 
precipice ;  the  day  was  far  spent ;  how  to  descend  with 
their  lives  they  knew  not.  Yet,  after  coasting  along  for  a 
distance,  they  came  on  a  spot  where  the  sheer  cliff*  bevels 
off"  into  a  steep  slope.     Down  this  dangerous  incline  runs 

211 


SAFE  DOWN  AT  LAST 

a  crack  wide  enough  to  admit  a  man's  fingers.  Mad  as 
the  plan  seems  to  an  ordinary  person,  the  three  begin  to 
let  themselves  cautiously  and  slowly  down,  inserting  the 
fingers  in  the  crack  and  carefully  lowering  the  body. 
The  victory  is  won,  and  the  three  then  huiTy  on  over 
glacier,  rock,  incline,  trusting  they  have  done  with 
precipices. 

But  no ;  a  third  and  still  more  formidable  rock-wall 
appears.  To  Tyndall  himself  the  place  seems  hopeless. 
Farther  he  and  his  men  cannot  get,  that  is  certain.  Then, 
to  his  extreme  surprise,  his  guides  lead  the  way  confidently 
along  the  crest  till  they  come  to  a  clay  ridge  running 
from  the  top  steeply  down.  The  clay  streak — for  it  is  no 
more — presently  comes  to  an  end,  and  the  rest  of  the 
descent  has  to  be  made  as  best  may  be.  The  guides  do 
not  hesitate  ;  the  rocks  are  rough,  and  the  scramble  down 
is  desperate.  In  an  ordinary  way  such  a  course  would 
have  been  pronounced  stark  madness,  but  men  in  sore 
straits  do  not  stick  at  trifles.  And,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
the  guides  had  the  day  before  seen  a  chamois  mount  at 
the  very  spot  where  they  were  descending.  AVliere  the 
chamois  could  get  up,  they  argued,  a  man  might  get 
down.  And  so  it  proves.  In  due  time  the  adventurous 
three  stand  safe  at  the  bottom  of  the  terrible  cliff,  ex- 
hausted but  triumphant.  The  proud  Weisshorn,  one 
might  almost  say,  had  been  twice  conquered  that  day. 


212 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

CROSSING    THE   ANDES    IN    WINTER 

The  Andes  second  in  size  only  to  the  Himalayas — Major  Ilickard,  an 
Irish  engineer — Starts  to  cross  from  Chili  to  Buenos  Ayres — 
The  western  slopes  of  the  Andes  reached  just  as  winter  is  coming 
on — A  stiff  pull  up — The  dog  in  leather  shoes — Hundreds  of 
condors — One  shot — A  big  struggle  with  the  wounded  bird — 
A  storm  of  snow  and  thunder — A  terrific  wind— I\Iule  refuses  to 
face  it — A  destructive  blast — Mule  takes  fright  and  gallops  off — 
Major  alone  on  the  ridge^  and  lost — Burrows  in  the  snow  to 
escape  blast — Gives  up  all  hope — Track  again  espied — Compan- 
ions come  up — Colour-blindness  a  serious  matter — Summit  of 
Cumbre  Pass,  the  worst  part^  reached — Storm  rages  with 
redoubled  fury — ''Dismount^  dismount!" — Mule  blown  over 
the  precipice — A  bottle  of  port — Eight  leagues  yet  to  nearest 
hut — A  puma  by  the  Major's  side — The  hut,  a  miserable  aifair — 
The  effect  of  a  uniform — W^retched  night — Negro  insensible 
from  the  cold — Men  bring  in  a  still  worse  case — The  engineer 
as  doctor — A  shot  at  a  llama  at  a  thousand  yards — Two  drunken 
horsemen  and  their  threats — A  rifle  brought  to  the  "  present " — 
A  hasty  retreat — Threats  to  return — The  dangerous  laderos 
along  the  road — a  drove  of  cattle  and  a  very  strait  path — 
A  narrow  escape  for  the  Major. 

No  reader  needs  to  be  told  that  the  vast  Andes  range 
is  second  only  to  the  mighty  Himalayas  among  the 
stupendous  mountain  chains  on  the  surface  of  our  globe. 
To  the  enormous  height  of  twenty-five  thousand  feet  do 
the  loftiest  of  the  Andine  summits  tower  above  sea-level. 

213 


MAJOR  RICKARD 

In  the  matter  of  length,  the  line  of  the  Andes  entirely 
puts  the  Himalayas  into  the  shade.  The  crossing  of  this 
great  range  is  at  all  times  a  long,  heavy  work ;  in  bad 
weather  it  is  attended  with  constant  dangers,  and  some- 
times with  risks  that  are  appalling.  This  was  the 
experience  of  Major  Rickard,  an  Irish  mining  engin^r, 
who  more  than  forty  years  ago  held  an  important  position 
under  the  Argentine  Government.  He  left  Valparaiso,  on 
the  Pacific,  to  traverse  the  entire  breadth  of  the  continent, 
the  journey  necessitating,  of  course,  the  passage  over  the 
Andes. 

It  was  just  at  the  beginning  of  winter — that  is,  about 
the  end  of  April,  when  he  reached  the  mountains,  but 
he  hoped  to  get  over  the  range  before  the  really  bad 
weather  set  in.  We  shall  see  what  his  actual  experience 
was. 

The  hour  of  two  on  a  dark  morning  saw  Major  Rickard 
and  his  companions  on  their  way  up  the  earlier  slopes. 
He  was  warmly  clad,  as  he  needed  to  be.  His  dog,  too, 
he  had  shod  in  leather  shoes,  as  a  protection  against 
stones  and  snow.  A  stiff  pull  up,  to  a  height  of  seven  or 
eight  thousand  feet,  brought  them  into  wild  and  magni- 
ficent scenery,  and  also  beyond  the  limit  of  vegetation. 
After  a  halt  for  their  breakfast  of  cold  meat  and  bread, 
and  the  coldest  of  cold  water  from  a  toiTent,  they  entered 
upon  a  narrow  road,  not  more  than  two  feet  wide,  along 
the  steep  face  of  a  cliff.  Along  this  risky  path  they  toiled 
without  any  mishap  to  the  top  of  a  ridge.  The  view  on 
all  sides  was  truly  marvellous ;  but  the  point  to  which  the 
eyes  of  the  travellers  were  particularly  directed  was  the 
Cumbre  Pass,  the  chief  pass  of  that  region,  by  which  they 

2U 


HUNDREDS  OF  CONDORS 

were  to  make  the  passage  of  the   Andes ;    it   could   be 
discerned,  though  the  distance  was  still  great. 

A  sight  nearer  at  hand  also  interested  the  Major ;  some 
hundreds  of  condors  were  soaring  above  his  head,  waiting 
to  come  back  to  the  carcass  of  a  mule  from  which  the 
arrival  of  the  men  had  for  the  moment  scared  them. 
Running  for  his  rifle,  the  engineer  took  aim  at  one  of  the 
largest,  which  had  alighted  on  a  ledge  two  hundred  yards 
away.  There  was  a  loud,  re-echoing  bang,  and  then  the 
whole  flock  of  condors  fled  terror-stricken — all  but  one, 
which  dropped  almost  at  the  sportsman's  feet.  The  dog 
was  not  disposed  to  tackle  so  formidable  a  fellow,  for  the 
bird  was  violent  to  a  degree.  Rickard  himself  dared  not 
approach  his  victim,  and  he  was  just  about  to  solve  the 
difficulty  by  putting  a  second  bullet  into  the  struggling 
condor,  when  one  of  his  men  deftly  brought  his  lasso  and 
hunting-knife  to  bear.  From  tip  to  tip  of  his  wings  the 
bird  measured  eight  feet  seven  inches. 

There  was  now  a  sudden  and  most  unwelcome  change 
in  the  weather ;  everything  prognosticated  a  storm  of  the 
utmost  violence,  and  the  travellers  thought  it  wise  to  get 
over  the  Cumbre  Pass  if  possible.  Snow  began  to  fall, 
then  it  fell  faster  and  faster ;  a  howling  wind  arose,  while  the 
air  grew  dark  and  resounded  with  the  roll  of  heavy  thunder- 
peals. The  Major  was  somewhat  ahead  of  his  men,  but  he 
hurried  on,  his  dog  accompanying  him.  Soon  he  could 
scarcely  see  for  ten  yards  in  front  of  him,  and  he  thought 
it  best  to  trust  to  his  mule,  which  was  stumbling-  alone* 
knee-deep  in  snow.  Upwards  the  animal  climbed,  foot  by 
foot,  the  storm  increasing  in  intensity  each  moment. 
Rickard  did  fairly  well  for  some  distance,  sheltered  by  a 

215 


ALONE,  AND  LOST  ! 

projecting  rock  ;  but  when  he  came  to  the  end  of  the  rock 
and  the  top  of  the  minor  ridge  he  was  climbing,  the  wind 
in  all  its  fury  caught  man  and  beast.  For  an  instant  the 
mule  stood  it,  and  then  attempted  to  turn  back.  Down 
on  her  knees  she  fell  in  the  endeavour,  and  the  rider  was 
compelled  to  dismount. 

He  determined  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  rest  of  his 
party  ;  but  what  a  place  to  wait  in,  and  alone !  Every- 
thing was  covered  thick  with  blinding  and  dazzling  snow  ; 
moreover,  the  mule  turned  round  two  or  three  times,  and 
before  many  minutes  were  over,  the  man  had  not  the 
slightest  notion  \\here  the  track  was,  or  in  which  direction 
his  route  lay.  He  took  out  his  pocket-compass,  and  laid 
it  flat  on  his  hand,  to  try  to  find  his  bearings.  "  I  was 
looking  most  anxiously  at  the  needle,  when  another 
terrific  gust  of  wind,  stronger  than  the  first,  and  charged 
with  sand  and  snow,  came  down  upon  me,  carrying  away 
my  compass,  my  hat,  and  my  poncho,  tearing  my  overcoat 
right  up  the  back,  and  leaving  me  in  tatters.  My  mule 
took  fright,  also,  and  went  off  at  full  speed  down  the  side 
of  the  mountain,  regardless  of  road  or  track." 

The  solitary  traveller  was  obliged  to  throw  himself  down 
and  burrow  into  the  snow,  in  order  to  gain  a  shelter  from 
the  all-mastering  hurricane  which  threatened  to  throw 
him  over  the  precipice.  The  dog  howled  piteously,  and 
crouched  in  the  snow  close  to  his  master.  Thus  the  pair 
remained  till  the  storm  somewhat  abated.  Then,  to  his 
great  joy,  the  Major  spied  the  track  not  more  than  ten 
yards  away,  and,  crawling  on  hands  and  knees  thither,  he 
found  better  shelter  behind  a  ledge  of  rock.  At  last  he 
was  able  to  proceed,  but  whither  .f*     There  was  but  one 

216 


A  CRITICAL  POSITION 

answer  to  such  a  question :  he  must  try  at  all  cost  to  find 
his  companions,  Down,  therefore,  he  plunged,  deep  in 
the  snowdrifts  at  every  step,  and  with  difficulty  making 
out  the  mule-track  at  all.  He  had  the  satisfaction  to  see 
them  coming  along  at  last,  for  he  was  lost,  bewildered,  and 
almost  dead  with  the  cold.  His  friends  were  delighted 
to  meet  with  him  again  ;  having  quite  given  him  up  for 
lost. 

"  I  can  assure  the  reader,"  writes  Major  Rickard,  "  that 
when  I  even  now  call  to  mind — and  I  can  do  so  vividly — 
my  critical  position  on  that  eventful  day,  alone,  on  the 
highest  range  of  the  Andes,  twelve  thousand  feet  above  the 
sea,  lost  and  hopeless,  with  the  probability  of  never  again 
seeing  the  face  of  man — for  one  whole  night  passed  there 
would  have  been  sufficient  to  accomplish  such  an  end,  and 
even  during  the  short  time  I  did  spend  there  I  was  almost 
frozen  to  death — then  the  probability  of  tumbling  head- 
long over  a  precipice  into  the  yawning  gulf  beneath  in 
trying  to  find  my  way,  for  the  snow  was  so  deep  and  the 
day  so  dark  that  I  could  not  distinguish  a  safe  from  an 
unsafe  path — I  say,  when  I  think  of  these  things  now,  it 
almost  makes  me  tremble." 

Another  hat  and  another  poncho  it  was  easy  enough  to 
get  out  of  his  portmanteau,  but  the  traveller  had  unfortu- 
nately lost  also  his  blue  goggles  in  the  late  blasts,  and 
soon  he  began  to  find  his  eyes  affected  with  snow-blindness. 
Later  on  the  matter  became  serious  ;  he  was  unable  to 
distinguish  colours.  He  astonished  his  men  by  declaring 
that  his  black  dog  had  turned  green — with  the  intense  cold, 
as  he  presumed.  But  when  he  found  that  the  snow 
appeared  yellow,  and  that  scarlet  assumed  the  hue  of  dirty 

217 


THE  STORM  RAGES 

purple,  his  guide  advised  him  to  ride  as  much  as  possible 
with  closed  eyes,  or  he  would  lose  his  sight  altogether.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  the  Major  never  did  entirely  recover  from 
the  effects  of  that  winter  journey  over  the  mountains. 

In  spite  of  all  dangers  and  troubles,  however,  the  little 
party  at  length  neared  the  summit  of  the  Cumbre,  the 
severity  of  the  storm  having  for  a  while  abated  a  trifle. 
But  just  before  the  crest  was  reached  the  tempest  swept 
down  upon  them  with  a  force  far  beyond  anything  they 
had  before  experienced.  The  signal  for  the  renewal  of 
hostilities  was  a  sudden  and  tremendous  peal  of  thunder 
exactly  over  the  heads  of  the  travellers,  the  crash  loud  as  if 
all  the  rocks  around  had  been  rent  to  pieces  at  one  blow. 
"We  were  now  approaching  the  summit,  and  the  storm, 
like  a  giant  refreshed  by  slumber,  arose  with  redoubled 
fury  and  strength,  and  bore  down  upon  us  with  all  its 
might.  '  Dismount  I  dismount !"  shouted  the  arriero  and 
his  men  simultaneously,  and  in  a  moment  we  were  on  the 
ground  with  our  backs  to  the  storm.  .  .  .  The  arriero 
and  men,  being  more  exposed  and  higher  up,  were  left  with 
their  clothes  in  ribands ;  but  this  was  not  the  worst. 
One  of  the  loaded  mules  was  blown  over  the  precipice,  and 
went  rolling  down  the  rocky  steep,  until  we  lost  sight  of 
her  in  the  profound  abyss  beneath.  Some  of  my  principal 
scientific  instruments  went  with  her,  and  were,  of  course, 
lost  to  me  for  ever." 

Not  a  moment  did  the  party  stop  on  the  summit  of  the 
pass,  "  awfully  grand  though  it  was,"  but  sought  some 
sort  of  shelter  where  they  might  partake  of  a  little 
refreshment.  So,  cowering  behind  a  rock,  they  drank  a 
bottle  of  good  port  wine,  the  reviving  effects  of  which 

218 


A  MISERABLE  SHELTER 

were  incalculable.  The  Major  certainly  was  in  need  of 
something  to  bring  back  life  to  him.  His  nose  and  ears 
were  utterly  without  feeling,  and  his  arriero  had  to  rub 
them  briskly  with  snow  to  restore  the  circulation.  They 
had  still  eight  leagues  to  go  before  the  first  hut  would  be 
reached — eight  leagues  of  that  terrible  pass,  and  in  the 
midst  of  a  winter  storm !  It  took  them  from  noon  till 
eight  in  the  evening  to  cover  the  distance.  The  mules  had 
to  be  allowed  to  stumble  as  they  could  down  the  rugged 
path,  and  the  men  struggled  after  them  as  best  they 
might,  up  to  their  middles,  in  snow.  On  the  way  the 
engineer  was  startled  by  the  sudden  apparition  of  a  puma, 
which  darted  close  past  him  as  he  was  walking  at  some 
distance  from  his  companions.  The  incident  was  discon- 
certing, to  say  the  least  of  it,  to  a  solitary  and  defenceless 
man,  for  he  was  too  benumbed  to  pull  a  trigger. 

At  length,  far  ahead,  was  seen  a  fire ;  it  was  by  the  hut, 
and  when  they  arrived  there,  they  found  two  men  cowering 
under  a  rock,  a  fire  burning  beside  them.  As  for  the  hut 
itself,  it  was  about  as  miserable  a  shelter  as  could  be 
imagined.  The  only  way  into  it  was  by  a  sort  of  door 
or  loophole  high  up  in  the  framework.  There  was  no 
ladder  by  which  this  might  be  reached,  and  the  Major  had 
to  scramble  up  as  he  might.  When  he  dropped  down  into 
the  pitch-dark  interior,  he  stumbled  over  a  prostrate  man. 
He  struck  a  light  and  found  that  there  were  already  four 
fellows  tenanting  this  little  shelter.  Where  the  new- 
comers were  to  put  themselves  it  was  not  easy  to  see. 
Moreover,  there  were  plenty  of  vent-holes  in  the  place, 
through  every  one  of  which  the  wind  and  the  snow  came 
driving  furiously.     The  very  limited  floor-space,  moreover, 

219 


EFFECT  OF  A  UNIFORM 

was  encumbered  by  a  litter  of  baggage,  clothes,  saddles, 
and  the  like. 

But  Major  Rickard  was  not  the  man  to  be  thrust  on 
one  side.  He  immediately  removed  the  cover  from  his 
cap,  and  showed  the  gold  band  upon  it.  It  was  a  uniform 
cap,  and  denoted  his  rank  as  a  high  Government  official. 
The  sight  of  this  had  the  desired  effect  on  the  fellows 
occupying  the  floor,  and  it  only  needed  an  authoritative 
word  from  the  great  man  to  make  them  rearrange  them- 
selves in  a  smaller  space.  The  servants  now  brought  in 
their  master''s  bed  and  rigged  it  up  in  a  corner,  and  made 
a  small  charcoal  fire  in  the  middle  of  the  floor.  Then, 
after  a  cup  of  hot  tea,  the  engineer  turned  in,  tortured 
by  a  nervous  headache.  How  long  he  slept  he  did  not 
know,  but  when  he  was  awakened  by  an  uneasy  movement 
on  the  part  of  his  dog,  he  sat  up  and  gazed  around  in 
stupid  amazement. 

"  The  candle  was  still  burning  in  the  opposite  corner, 
and  threw  a  dim,  lurid  glare  over  the  interior  of  the 
hut.  ...  I  was  obliged  to  drop  again  immediately,  being 
almost  stifled  and  suffocated  with  the  most  intolerable 
stench  I  ever  recollect  having  experienced ;  even  the 
'  seventeen  distinct  smells '  of  Rio  Janeiro  in  the  Brazils 
were  nothing  in  comparison.  The  atmosphere  from  about 
two  feet  from  the  floor  upwards  was  a  thick  cloud  of  steam, 
ascending  and  curling,  slowly  finding  an  exit  by  the  door- 
way. On  the  floor  were  piled  a  heap  of  human  forms 
lying  in  every  position,  all  apparently  sound  asleep,  and 
ignorant  of,  or  indifferent  to,  the  pernicious  atmosphere 
they  were  inhaling."" 

The  Major  was  informed  by  his  men,  later  on,  that  a 

220 


NEGRO  INSENSIBLE  FROM  COLD 

fresh  party  of  travellers  had  arrived  during  the  night,  and 
that  no  fewer  than  eighteen  persons  had  slept  within  the 
narrow  limits  of  that  wretched  hut ! 

The  effect  of  the  cold  and  exposure  at  such  an  elevation 
was  serious  indeed,  so  far  as  some  of  the  travellers  were 
concerned.  A  black  servant  of  the  Major's  was  found  in 
the  morning  apparently  stiff  and  lifeless.  The  negro  was 
made  to  swallow  some  hot  tea,  after  which  he  revived  a 
little,  but  was  unable  even  to  move  from  his  place,  much 
less  to  continue  the  journey.  A  worse  case  presently 
engaged  the  attention  of  the  rest.  Four  men  arrived  at 
the  hut,  carrying  what  seemed  to  be  the  dead  body 
of  a  comrade.  They  said  he  had  shown  no  signs  of  life 
whatever  since  they  had  discovered  him  crouched  and 
insensible  beneath  a  rock.  The  Major  had  the  poor 
fellow  placed  on  a  mattress  in  the  hut,  and  then  applied 
stimulants  and  friction.  Before  he  started  on  his  own 
way  again,  about  noon,  the  kindly  Irishman  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  the  sufferer  come  round  considerably. 

When  the  party  got  off,  one  of  them,  the  negro,  had  to 
be  wrapped  in  blankets  and  carried  to  his  mule,  where  he 
sat  almost  without  the  power  of  keeping  his  seat.  All 
day  they  trudged  on,  deep  in  snow,  till  at  length  they 
reached  another  hut,  to  gain  which  they  had  to  cross  a 
stream  and  clamber  up  a  steep  bank.  Luckily  this  second 
hut  was  empty,  and  a  good  deal  more  cleanly,  so  that  after 
some  hot  tea  the  men  turned  in  for  a  far  better  night. 
In  the  morning  preparations  were  made  for  an  early  start, 
when  an  incident  diverted  everybody's  attention  for  the 
moment.  Rickard  was  standing  outside  the  hut,  when 
with  a  whiz  four  huanacos,  a  species  of  llama,  flew  bv. 

221 


A  SHOT  AT  A  LLAMA 

Instantl}'  he  sprang  towards  the  door  to  fetch  his  riHe,  but 
stumbled,  and  before  he  could  recover  himself  and  get 
hold  of  his  gun,  the  animals  were  a  long  way  off.  The 
sportsman  elevated  the  sight  to  six  hundred  yards,  and 
fired.  He  wasted  his  ammunition,  for  the  llamas  were 
probably  three  or  four  hundred  yards  farther  away  than 
he  had  reckoned  upon.  Seeing  them  rest  a  moment  on 
the  top  of  a  rock,  however,  he  put  up  the  sight  for  a 
thousand  yards  and  once  more  took  aim.  though  the 
animals  were  barely  visible.  Whether  he  hit  one  of  them 
or  not  he  could  not  be  certain,  but,  looking  through  his 
field-glass,  he  saw  one  of  them  leap  into  the  air  and  then 
all  four  fly  oft'  like  the  wind. 

They  had  an  adventure  of  another  sort  at  a  later  stage 
of  the  crossing,  when  the  worst  of  the  mountains  had  been 
passed.  A  loud  shouting  and  hallooing  was  heard  in  the 
valley,  and  two  gauchos  on  horseback  galloped  furiously 
up,  and  demanded  wine,  swearing  terribly  the  while.  The 
fellows  were  half-drunk  already,  and  the  Major  replied 
that  he  had  no  wine.  The  rascals  scouted  the  notion  that 
a  party  of  the  kind  could  be  crossing  the  Andes  without 
taking  stimulants  of  some  sort.  But  the  engineer  was  not 
the  man  to  be  trifled  with.  Seizing  his  rifle,  he  shouted  to 
them  that  if  they  did  not  "  clear  out ""  immediately,  he 
would  put  a  bullet  through  at  least  one  of  their  skulls. 
His  own  men  were  in  alarm,  saying  that  the  gauchos  were 
terrible  fellows  with  the  knife,  and  would  think  nothing 
of  cutting  his  throat.  "  But  was  an  Irishman,"  he  writes, 
"  with  an  Enfield  rifle  in  his  hand  and  a  revolver  in  his 
belt,  to  be  cowed  by  such  '  spalpeens '?  Not  a  bit  of  it ; 
so  I  reiterated  the  threat,  accompanying  it  by  bringing  the 

222 


DANGERS  OF  THE  "LADEROS" 

rifle  to  the  '  piesent/  This  had  the  desired  effect,  and  the 
ruffians  set  off  at  full  speed,  yelling  out  most  fearful  oaths 
and  threats  to  return  with  others  and  take  vengeance  upon 
us.  They  did  not,  however,  carry  out  their  threats,  and  we 
slept  sound  and  unmolested  till  morning." 

The  track,  even  when  most  of  the  snow  had  been  left 
behind,  was  often  of  the  most  rugged  and  difficult  kind  ; 
in  many  places  it  was  fearfully  steep ;  moreover,  it  was 
often  barely  wide  enough  to  admit  of  a  mule  and  its 
load  passing  along.  Often  the  riders  had  to  dismount, 
especially  in  traversing  the  bad  and  dangerous  spots  called 
laderos,  where  the  road  runs  on  the  top  of  perpendicular 
precipices  overhanging  the  River  Colorado.  At  one  of 
these  critical  points  they  met  a  large  drove  of  cattle, 
which  were  being  taken  over  the  mountains  into  Chili. 
The  engineer  and  his  party  had  to  return  for  a  long 
distance  before  the  cattle  could  pass.  Now  and  then,  too, 
the  wind  blew  with  great  violence,  and  at  times  drove  the 
sand  in  their  faces  with  such  force  that  they  were  unable 
to  stand  it,  and  had  to  wrap  their  heads  in  their  mantles, 
and  let  the  mules  stumble  along  as  they  would  or  could. 
A  long  stretch  of  spiny  thorn-scrub  was  to  be  traversed 
in  one  locality.  Altogether,  the  road  over  the  Andes 
was  a  hard  road  to  travel,  and  the  following  incident  was 
but  one  instance  of  the  Major's  many  escapes  : 

"  At  4  a.m.  we  started,  and  commenced  groping  our  way 
in  the  dark,  still  descending  the  dangerous  and  precipitous 
path.  I  recollect  one  part  of  this  road,  which,  for  the 
first  time  during  the  journey  (except  in  the  Cumbre),  really 
startled  me.  It  was  still  dark,  and  the  route  led  us  into 
a  deep  goige,  or  more  properly  an  immense  fissure  in  the 

223 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE 

mountain,  the  rocks  on  either  side  rising  perpendicularly 
to  a  considerable  height.  By  the  sound  of  my  mule''s  feet 
I  knew  there  was  water  beneath,  which  in  some  jilaces  was 
frozen,  and  consequently  slippery.  In  passing  through 
one  of  these  spots  my  mule  came  down  and  I  with  her, 
straight  over  her  head,  and,  had  I  not  held  on  to  the  reins 
with  all  my  might,  I  don't  know  where  I  might  have 
'  brought  up,'  as  the  place  was  a  mass  of  ice,  and  inclined 
downwards  at  an  angle  of  sixty  degrees  at  least.  I  regained 
my  feet  with  difficulty,  and  determined  to  descend  the 
remainder  of  the  pass  on  foot." 


224 


CHAPTER   XIX 

IN    KAFFIR   LAND 

Mr.  Baldwin,  an  English  liunter — Hoisting  a  waggon  up  a  stiff  hill 
— Out  of  control  on  the  downward  slope — A  leap  into  a  tlioru- 
tree — A  bad  spill — Foreloper  injured — Mr,  Baldwin  as  surgeon 
— A  rhinoceros,  and  no  rifle  handy — A  plucky  youngster — 
Full  tilt  downliill — At  bay — Almost  impaled — Cold  on  the 
mountain  heights — Three  lions  watch  fire-making  operations — 
Master's  shots  useless — Man  comes  to  rescue — Lioness  biting 
savagely  at  the  twigs — A  harrisbuck  lost  in  the  ravine — Twenty- 
two  of  the  same  breed  next  day — A  foot  fast  in  the  stirrup — 
Elephant  -  hunting  excessively  hard  work  —  VVounded  bull 
elephant  in  chase — Thin  boots  and  a  steep  slippery  hill-side — 
Elephant  in  grim  earnest — A  critical  moment — Beast  careering 
helplessly  downhill— A  still  closer  shave — A  race  between 
elephant  and  horse — Bit  and  bridle  thrown  awry  by  a  swerve — 
A  brush  past — Cannoning  with  trees — Breakneck  chase  down 
the  slope — Just  in  time — A  night  visit  by  a  lioness — Shots 
from  the  top  of  a  hut — A  leap  through  the  air — Head  over 
heels — Darkey  knocked  off  waggon  by  the  recoil  of  his  gun — 
A  cold  and  irritating  vigil — Lion  despatched  by  drivers — The 
Englishman  arrested  as  a  spy — Released,  but  robbed  of  most 
of  his  ammunition — A  lion  hunt — Fiveand-twenty  Masara  men 
with  assegais — All  the  warriors  in  full  flight — Baldwin  sticks 
to  his  game — An  exciting  time— Lion  on  three  legs — Loud 
praises  by  the  Masaras. 

The  long  and  terrible  Boer  War,  and  the  Zulu  troubles 
preceding  it,  have  made  us  acquainted  with  details 
of  South  African  geography  of  which  many  of  us  were 

225  F 


HUNTING  IN  SOUTH  AFRICA 

previously  very  ignorant.  Now,  Vaal  and  Limpopo, 
Stormberg  and  Drachenfels,  are  names  almost  as  familiar 
as  that  of  the  fatal  height  of  Spion  Kop. 

Among  those  far-off  mountains,  across  those  rivers, 
and  athwart  those  long  stretches  of  veldt  and  bush  and 
karroo  went  many  a  sportsman  forty  or  fifty  years  ago. 
Among  them  was  one  whose  restless  longings  for  excite- 
ment and  discovery  and  sport  led  him  into  the  lands  of 
the  Kaffir,  the  Zulu,  the  Boer,  the  Hottentot.  Mr.  Bald- 
Avin,  in  truth,  was  a  hunter  by  nature,  and  many  were  the 
strange  adventures  he  met  with  in  South  Africa,  and  many 
the  difficulties  he  had  to  face  in  his  wanderings  on  the 
mountains  there.  The  guidance  of  his  waggon  team  up 
the  steep  ascents  and  down  the  precipitous  descents  was  no 
easy  matter. 

One  day,  by  dint  of  much  trouble  and  some  flogging, 
the  lumbering  vehicle  had  been  hoisted  to  the  top  of  a 
stiff  incline.  As  it  happened,  the  downward  slope  began 
at  once,  and  the  driver  at  the  head  of  the  team  neglected 
to  give  the  usual  warning.  Before  Mr.  Baldwin  could 
realize  what  had  happened,  he  found  oxen  and  waggon 
tearing  down  the  steep  mountain-side  at  a  terrific  rate. 
That  in  the  course  of  another  moment  or  two  there  would 
come  destruction  he  could  see  at  a  glance.  To  sit  still 
meant  serious  injury,  and  possibly  death;  to  jump  off 
appeared  only  one  degree  less  fatal.  But  he  had  no  time 
to  weigh  the  pros  and  cons  in  his  mind.  Seeing  a  rough 
thorn-tree  close  at  hand,  the  hunter  threw  himself  violently 
upon  it,  and  alighted  in  the  very  thick  of  its  foliage  and 
spines !  He  tumbled  to  earth  with  no  damage  to  his 
person,  but  with  a  shirt  torn  to  ribbons. 

226 


BALDWIN  AS  SURGEON 

"I  had  just  got  clear  of  my  not  too  comfortable  bed," 
he  goes  on  to  tell,  "  when  I  heard  the  waggon  come  to  a 
sudden  halt.  I  ran  forward,  and  beheld  ten  of  the  oxen 
round  a  tree,  and  one  of  the  Kaffirs  wringing  his  hands 
and  dancing  in  a  frantic  manner,  roaring  out  '  Mammo 
mammi,  mammi  manimo  f  over  the  foreloper,  who  was  on 
the  gi'ound,  covered  with  blood  and  looking  as  wild  as  a 
hawk.  What  had  happened  to  him  I  have  never  yet  been 
able  to  understand.  On  closer  examination  I  found  that 
the  poor  fellow's  skull  was  split  on  the  left  side,  and  it 
appeared  as  if  the  waggon  had  gone  over  his  right  arm. 
.  .  .  The  Kaffirs  looked  on  in  awe,  but  when  they  saw  me 
take  out  needle,  thread,  thimble,  etc.,  to  sew  up  his  head, 
they  raised  a  fearful  outcry,  in  which  the  wounded  man 
joined.  I  was  therefore  obliged  to  desist  from  this  opera- 
tion, and  content  myself  with  binding  up  his  head  as 
tightly  as  I  could."  He  was  forced  to  leave  the  injured 
driver  behind,  and  proceed  with  the  help  of  his  one  other 
man  only,  an  awkward  predicament  to  be  in,  seeing  the 
number  of  cattle  to  be  tended,  and  the  nature  of  the 
ground  over  which  they  were  making  their  way  to  the 
Umgowie  Mountains, 

On  a  later  occasion,  while  the  hunter  was  ascending  a 
hill  he  suddenly  found  himself  facing  an  old  rhinoceros 
cow  which  was  coming  down.  Baldwin  called  frantically 
to  the  boy  behind,  who  was  carrying  his  rifle.  The 
youngster  did  not  like  the  situation,  and  hesitated  for  a 
moment  whether  to  obey  the  order  or  to  take  to  his  heels, 
leaving  the  master  to  his  fate.  The  boy  had  pluck  in 
him,  however,  and,  approaching,  threw  the  gun  -  case 
towards  him,  and   then   darted  up  a  tree  with  all   the 

227 


A  PERILOUS  ENCOUNTER 

quickness  of  a  squirrel.  The  sportsman  kept  one  eye  on 
the  rhinoceros  while  he  saw  to  the  opening  of  the  gun- 
case  with  the  other.  Just  as  the  brute  was  charging  him 
full  tilt,  he  lodged  a  bullet  in  its  breast,  with  the  effect  of 
turning  the  animal's  course,  and  it  disappeared  among  the 
scrub.  The  hunter  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and 
had  just  reached  the  ridge  when  he  found  himself  in  the 
presence  of  two  rhinoceroses.  He  shot  at  one,  and  evidently 
wounded  it,  but  both  animals  made  off'.  The  dogs,  how- 
ever, managed  to  turn  one  of  them,  and,  without  more 
ado,  it  came  charging  down  upon  Baldwin  at  top  speed. 
It  was  touch  and  go :  another  second,  and  the  man  would 
have  been  impaled  on  the  horn  of  the  furious  rhinoceros. 
Baldwin's  steadiness  of  aim  was  of  the  utmost  value  to 
him  here.  Keeping  a  cool  head,  he  dropped  the  beast 
just  in  the  nick  of  time.  The  second  rhinoceros  was  found 
at  no  great  distance,  and  on  examination  proved  to  be  the 
one  Baldwin  had  shot  lower  down  the  hill. 

The  Englishman  presently  found  himself  traversing  a 
country  of  mountains,  on  the  higher  elevations  of  which 
the  cold  was  very  trying,  although  the  heavy  work  of 
cutting  the  way  through  the  dense  bush  was  warm  enough. 
He  was  on  ahead  of  his  party,  and  managed  to  light  a 
fire,  using  for  his  purpose  a  cap,  a  couple  of  stones,  a  bit 
of  rag,  and  some  gunpowder.  While  these  operations 
were  proceeding  three  lions  came  and  looked  on.  This 
was  too  much  for  a  man  of  keen  sporting  instincts,  and  at 
once  he  set  off^,  followed  by  Svvartz,  the  only  servant  he 
had  with  him  at  the  time.  Singling  out  one  of  the 
animals,  a  lioness,  they  managed  to  detach  her  from  the 
rest,  and  went  after  her  in  hot  chase.     A  long  shot  missed 

228 


PURSUING  HARRISBUCKS 

her,  and  the  lioness  came  to  a  halt  suddenly,  and  stood  at 
bay  among  the  scrub,  five-and-twenty  yards  away.  A 
second  shot  was  of  no  avail  :  the  sportsman"'s  arms  were 
tired  with  their  recent  heavy  labour,  and  he  was  unable  to 
take  a  steady  aim.  It  was  well  for  him  that  he  had  with 
him  his  man  Swartz,  who  lost  no  time  in  using  his  own 
gun.  The  lioness  sprang  high  into  the  air,  and  began 
biting  savagely  at  the  twigs  and  branches,  a  sign  she  had 
been  hit.  All  this  gave  the  master  time  to  reload,  and 
without  hesitation  he  walked  close  up  to  the  raging  beast 
and  put  her  out  of  her  misery. 

The  two  men  found  themselves  on  the  top  of  a  very 
precipitous  mountain  flank,  and  as  they  were  making  their 
way  with  difficulty  down  it  they  set  up  a  harrisbuck. 
They  would  have  eagerly  given  chase  had  it  been  possible, 
but  the  buck  shot  down  into  the  depths  of  the  ravine  with 
astonishing  rapidity,  and  disappeared  from  view.  When 
the  hunters,  with  more  deliberate  and  uncertain  feet,  had 
gained  the  foot  of  the  steep  slope  and  the  bottom  of  the 
bush-covered  valley,  the  animal  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

They  had  a  similar  disappointment  another  day  when 
they  came  across  a  whole  herd  of  the  same  breed.  Mr. 
Baldwin  counted  twenty-two  feeding  together  in  a  long, 
narrow,  steep-sided  valley,  and  the  animals,  on  being  dis- 
turbed, with  one  consent  set  off  thundering  down  the 
pass.  The  hunter  was  mounted,  and  went  in  pursuit. 
With  his  usual  adroitness  he  succeeded  in  detaching  one 
fine  old  bull  from  the  rest,  and,  by  a  bit  of  manoeuvring, 
got  within  gunshot.  At  the  very  moment  when  he  should 
have  fired,  his  boot  became  fast  in  the  stirrup,  pulling  him 
a  little  to  one  side.     The  shot  missed  its  mark,  and  the 

229 


A  CRITICAL  MOMENT 

buck  darted  off  again.  The  rider  was  obliged  to  stop  to 
extricate  his  boot,  and  thus  lost  a  moment  or  two.  The 
next  minute  the  horse  all  but  jumped  into  a  nest  full  of 
ostrich  eggs,  and  for  a  second  time  Baldwin  missed  his 
chance  of  securing  a  harrisbuck.  But  he  shot  many  a  one 
before  he  had  done. 

Of  all  the  arduous  exertion  involved  in  this  hunting 
among  the  hills  and  veldts,  and  across  the  rivers  and 
karroos,  Mr.  Baldwin  gives  it  as  his  opinion  that 
elephant-stalking  is  the  hardest  work  to  which  any  man 
could  put  himself.  That  it  was  also  dangerous  work  does 
not  need  explaining.  Some  of  his  adventures  led  him  into 
the  most  imminent  peril.  He  was  hunting  on  foot  on  one 
occasion  in  the  Entumi  Bush,  and  had  wounded  a  huge 
bull -elephant.  The  animal  gave  instant  and  hot  chase. 
The  hunter  made  straight  up  the  steep  hill,  in  the  hope 
that  he  would  be  able  to  climb  more  rapidly  than  the 
unwieldy  bull.  But  he  had  on  only  some  very  thin  veldt 
boots,  without  soles,  and  his  progress  he  found  to  be  very 
slow  indeed.  In  truth,  he  slipped  back  two-thirds  of  every 
upward  stride  he  took,  and  stumbled  frightfully,  often 
falling  to  the  ground.  The  elephant  kept  on  his  way 
in  grim  earnest,  and  the  situation  was  fast  becoming 
desperate  for  the  hunter,  now  himself  being  so  keenly 
hunted.  "  Seeing  no  disposition  on  my  pursuer's  part  to 
give  up  the  chase,  I  changed  my  tactics,  got  above  a  tree, 
on  which  I  leaned  a  couple  of  seconds,  to  recover  my  wind 
partly — a  very  critical  moment,  as  the  brute  was  not  more 
than  four  of  his  own  lengths  from  me — jumped  then  some 
ten  yards  at  right  angles,  and  turned  down  the  hill  at 
full  speed,  the  monster  screaming  and  trumpeting  in  full 

230 


A  VERY  CLOSE  SHAVE 

career  after  me  at  a  tremendous  pace.  He  must  have 
been  over  me  in  a  few  strides  more,  when  I  sprang  to  the 
right,  and  down  he  went  in  his  mad  career,  crashing  and 
carrying  all  before  him,  utterly  unable  to  stop  if  he  wished, 
as  the  hill  was  very  steep,  and  he  was  under  full  sail — a 
tremendous  relief  to  my  mind,  as  it  was  my  last  resort." 
Mr.  Baldwin  was  quite  content  to  let  the  elephant  continue 
his  downhill  course,  without  attempting  to  follow  him  up. 
The  hunter  resolved  that  for  the  future  he  would  always 
take  care  to  have  a  good  horse  at  hand,  if  it  were  in  any 
way  possible. 

He  had  a  still  closer  shave  with  another  elephant, 
which  came  suddenly  charging  down  upon  him  at  great 
speed.  It  was  again  on  a  steep  mountain-side,  but  this 
time  he  was  mounted.  His  horse,  however,  happened  to 
be  a  new  one,  and  he  knew  not  how  the  beast  was  likely 
to  behave.  To  his  horror  the  steed  stood  stock  still,  and 
there  was  only  just  time  to  fire  somewhat  wildly.  The 
bullet  would  seem  to  have  whistled  rather  too  close  to  the 
horse's  ear,  for  the  animal  swerved  violently,  almost 
unseating  the  rider,  throwing  both  reins  on  one  side  of 
his  head,  and  jerking  the  bit  out  of  his  mouth.  Instantly 
the  hunter  was  rendered  helpless,  and  all  he  could  do  was 
to  stick  his  spurs  desperately  into  the  sides  of  his  horse. 
Oddly  enough,  the  steed  made  straight  for  the  charging 
and  trumpeting  bull,  and  Baldwin  thought  all  was  up 
with  him.  Horse  and  elephant  brushed  close  past  each 
other  as  they  met,  and  the  rider  had  to  throw  himself 
entirely  on  the  off-side  of  his  beast  to  avoid  being  crushed 
between  the  two.  Another  second  and  the  immediate 
danger  was  passed,  the  elephant  being  now  behind.     But 

231 


JUST  IN  TIME 

at  that  moment  the  horse  came  in  contact  with  three 
trees,  one  of  which  all  but  dragged  off  the  rider,  hurting 
his  shoulder  considerably.  It  was  a  fortunate  thing  for 
him  that  he  managed  to  keep  his  grip  of  his  gun,  though 
how  he  retained  it  is  a  marvel,  seeing  that  he  held  it  only 
by  the  trigger-guard,  and  with  one  finger. 

Along  the  hill  flank  the  horse  now  tore,  jumping 
pushes  like  a  buck,  crashing  through  the  thick  under- 
wood, and  in  his  haste  over  the  broken  and  cumbered 
ground  almost  falling  on  his  nose  times  out  of  count. 
For  a  little  while  the  elephant  kept  on  in  pursuit, 
but,  finding  himself  distanced,  turned  at  last  a  different 
way.  Now  was  Baldwin's  time.  He  quickly  put  his 
bridle  to  rights,  and  then  went  in  chase  of  his  late 
pursuer.  After  the  brute  downhill  the  hunter  flew  like 
the  wind,  disregarding  the  dangers  of  more  than  one  kind 
that  beset  his  path.  Ten  long  shots  were  fired  at  the 
retreating  animal  before  he  was  brought  to  a  stand.  The 
hunter  was  so  exhausted  that  he  was  scarce  able  to  move 
a  hand,  and  it  was  only  with  enormous  difficulty  he  could 
finish  off  the  struggling  elephant,  to  do  which  three  more 
shots  were  required.  The  man  sank  to  the  ground 
almost  in  a  swoon.  He  could  not  have  put  another  cap 
on  the  nipple,  he  tells  us. 

Many  of  Baldwin's  adventures  with  lions  were  not  a 
little  exciting — some  of  them  too  much  so,  indeed.  One 
dark  night  he  and  his  men  in  camp  were  awakened  by  the 
bellowings  of  an  ox,  mingled  with  the  roarings  of  lions. 
Baldwin  sprang  up,  seized  the  heavy  double-barrelled  gun 
lying  between  his  legs,  and  dashed  outside.  He  found 
one  of  his  black  fellows  on  the  roof  of  a  rough  hut  they 

232 


A  Dangerous  Race 

Baldwin  had  fired  at  the  elephant,  but  unfortunately  he  missed  as  his  horse  swerved, 
jerking  the  bit  out  of  its  mouth.  He  was  now  helpless,  but  dug  his  spurs  into  his  horse, 
which  made  for  the  elephant.  They  almost  collided,  and  after  a  most  exciting  race  the 
horse  outdistanced  its  pursuer. 


ADVENTURES  WITH  LIONS 

had  made.  Jumping  up  beside  his  man,  he  fired  at  a 
dark-looking  object  that  could  be  dimly  seen  a  few  yards 
away.  Two  or  three  shots  he  sent  in  that  direction,  but 
no  effect  appeared  to  have  been  produced.  Suddenly  the 
lion  sprang  full  at  him,  its  head  striking  him  in  the  chest 
with  such  violence  that  he  flew  head  over  heels  from  the 
top  of  the  hut  down  into  the  bush.  Picking  himself  up 
in  all  haste,  Baldwin  scrambled  through  the  fence,  and 
sprang  up  on  to  the  waggon,  the  black  following  with  no 
less  celerity.  There  on  the  top  of  the  vehicle  stood  the 
little  band  of  men,  unable  to  do  anything.  The  lion  had 
it  all  its  own  way  now,  and  the  hunters  in  the  darkness 
could  only  listen  helplessly  while  the  brute  seized  a  goat 
and  began  to  make  its  supper.  One  of  the  men  presently 
made  a  demonstration,  but  with  results  that  were  hardly 
encouraging.  He  was  standing  with  some  difficulty  on 
the  top  of  the  waggon  when  he  drew  trigger  against  the 
lion,  and  the  recoil  sent  him  spinning  to  the  ground.  As 
luck  would  have  it,  he  alighted  head  foremost  on  the  top 
of  the  very  hut  from  which  he  had  so  lately  sprung. 
This,  happily  for  him,  broke  his  fall ;  but  the  master 
found  it  a  ridiculous  sight  altogether,  especially  when  the 
black  fellow  hurriedly  clambered  up  into  the  vehicle 
again.  To  the  chagrin  of  the  little  party — there  were 
five  blacks  besides  the  master — they  were  compelled  to 
stay  out  the  rest  of  the  cold  night  on  the  waggon,  with 
hardly  any  clothes  to  cover  them.  It  was  not  till  day- 
light began  to  appear  that  the  beast  sheered  off,  and  left 
the  men  at  liberty  to  come  down  from  their  uncomfort- 
able fastness.  Baldwin  went  at  once  into  his  tent  to 
have  his  interrupted  sleep  out,  but  a  couple  of  the  drivers 

233 


A  LION  HUNT 

were  not  disposed  to  let  the  enemy  off'  so  easily.  They 
gave  chase,  and  in  no  long  time  brought  down  the 
aggressor.  It  proved  to  be  a  lioness.  Proudly  the  men 
reported  their  success,  but  they  were  not  altogether  so 
pleased  when  an  examination  of  the  dead  body  brought 
to  light  the  bullet  from  the  master's  big  double-barrelled 
gun. 

Crossing  the  Vaal  from  the  Orange  Free  State  into  the 
Transvaal  Republic,  Baldwin  was  taken  prisoner  as  a  spy, 
was  charged  with  selling  powder  to  the  Kaffirs,  and  was 
threatened  with  hanging.  The  greater  part  of  his  stock 
of  ammunition  was  taken  from  him,  but  in  the  end  he 
was  allowed  to  go  on  his  way.  He  was,  of  course,  soon  in 
the  thick  of  the  hunting  again,  encountering  every  sort  of 
game  or  dangerous  animal  South  Africa  possessed.  His 
final  adventure  among  the  lions  nearly  cost  him  his  life. 
It  was  towards  the  close  of  a  tiring  day,  when  he  had 
been  engaged  for  many  hours  in  cutting  through  the 
thick  bush  that  covered  every  part  of  the  hill-sides.  But 
he  sprang  on  his  horse — also  pretty  much  exhausted — as 
soon  as  he  heard  the  roar  of  a  lion  close  at  hand.  He 
had  with  him  five-and-twenty  Masara  men,  all  armed 
with  assegais.  As  he  galloped  off  Baldwin  spied  a 
bleached  skull  lying  on  the  ground,  and  for  the  life  of 
him  he  could  not  help  regarding  it  as  a  bad  omen,  and 
fancied  that  his  own  skull  was  destined  before  long  to  lie 
in  similar  fashion.  But,  throwing  off  the  melancholy 
that  attacked  him,  he  took  a  shot  at  the  lion  from  a 
distance  of  sixty  or  seventy  yaids.  He  could  see  the 
animal  drop  suddenly  to  earth  as  he  fired,  and  naturally 
supposed  the  bullet  had  reached  its  mark.     Remounting 

234 


AN  EXCITING  FINISH 

his  horse,  Baldwin  rode  up  nearer,  when,  with  a  ft'ightful 
roar,  the  creature  sprang  up,  and  in  a  trice  was  upon  him. 
The  rider  had  only  just  time  to  spur  his  horse  violently 
on  one  side,  causing  it  to  swerve  instantly,  before  the 
body  of  the  savage  brute  was  bounding  through  the  air. 
The  lion  brushed  past,  in  truth,  so  closely  that  his  flank 
all  but  knocked  the  man  off  his  beast  altogether.  It  was 
only  by  clinging  for  dear  life  to  the  stirrup-strap  that  he 
kept  his  seat. 

The  horse,  carried  on  ahead  by  his  speed  and  the  steep 
slope  on  which  he  was,  careered  along  at  a  rapid  rate,  and 
it  was  not  till  after  some  seconds  that  the  rider  could  pull 
him  up.  Meanwhile  the  five-and-twenty  Masara  men 
were  all  speeding  away  as  fast  as  their  legs  could  carry 
them,  leaving  the  Englishman  to  shift  for  himself  as  best 
he  might.  Nothing  daunted,  Baldwin  followed  hard 
after  the  lion,  and  with  a  good  shot  at  a  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  broke  one  of  his  hind-legs.  The  beast  kept  on 
his  way,  nevertheless,  running  on  three  legs.  But  the 
horse  gradually  caught  up  with  the  wounded  animal,  and 
the  rider  was  able  to  get  in  a  second  shot.  This  broke 
the  spine,  and  with  a  third  bullet  the  hunter  gave  its 
quietus  to  the  brute  that  had  so  nearly  finished  him. 
The  Masara  fellows  now  came  running  back,  and  began 
loudly  to  shout  the  praises  of  the  master.  One  of  the 
blacks,  a  born  orator  evidently,  began  a  most  graphic 
description  of  the  whole  incident,  though  not  a  word  of 
the  speech  was  understood  by  the  subject  of  it. 

"  I  wish  my  powers  of  description,"  writes  Mr.  Baldwin, 
pardonably  enough,  "  equalled  those  of  a  Masara.  I  think 
I  never  enjoyed  a  gi'eater  treat  than  to  hear  one  of  them 

235 


A  GRAPHIC  DESCRIPTION 

describe  this  adventure.  I  did  not  understand  a  word  he 
said,  but  his  gestures  and  attitudes  were  splendid  ;  his  eyes 
flashed  fire,  he  broke  out  into  a  streaming  perspiration, 
and  mimicked  the  lion  so  perfectly  as  to  make  me  feel 
quite  cold.  It  would  be  impossible  to  surpass  his  imitation 
of  the  horse  galloping,  with  myself  spurring  him,  and  all 
the  other  incidents  of  the  chase.  I  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  that  I  held  the  very  first  place  in  his  estimation."" 


236 


CHAPTER  XX 

A   TRAGEDY    ON    THE    MATTERHORN 

The  Matterlioru  loug  the  terror  of  niouutaiueers — Mauy  early 
attacks  —  A  distinguished  baud  —  ]\Ir.  Whymper  and  Lord 
Francis  Douglas  —  Joined  by  two  other  Englishmen — First 
night's  camp  at  an  elevation  of  eleven  thousand  feet — An  early 
start  on  the  morrow — The  peak  in  full  view — Exciting  race  for 
the  top — A  dead  heat — An  Italian  party  on  the  mountain 
beaten — A  flag  improvised — The  descent  begun — The  order  in 
which  the  men  were  roped — The  utmost  care  taken — Mr.  Hadovv 
slips — The  leading  guide  knocked  off  his  feet — The  rope  parts 
— Four  men  slide  away,  three  left  clinging  to  the  rocks — Over 
the  precipice — A  terrible  drop  of  four  thousand  feet — The  sur- 
vivors paralyzed — A  move  made  at  last — An  appalling  appari- 
tion against  the  sky — "A  fearful  and  wonderful  sight" — The 
night  passed  on  a  bare  and  tiny  rock-shelf — Back  at  Zermatt — 
Consternation  and  grief  there — A  search  party  perceive  the 
bodies  away  down  on  the  glacier — An  unsuccessful  Sunday 
search — Ultimate  recovery  of  three  of  the  bodies — A  victory, 
but  a  terrible  one  ! 

None  of  the  other  great  mountain-peaks  of  Europe  had, 
till  quite  recently,  so  sinister  a  reputation  as  Mont  Cervin, 
or,  as  it  is  more  usually  called  in  this  country,  the  Matter- 
horn.  From  time  immemorial  men  had  gazed  on  its 
mighty  towering  precipices  with  awe  and  with  terror. 
From  many  points  of  view  its  huge  rock-walls  appeared  to 
be  frightfully  precipitous,  welhiigh  perpendicular.  The 
mountain,  it  could  be  seen,  was  often  swept  by  terrible 

237 


THE  MATTERHORN 

storms  ;  the  avalanches  of  snow,  ice,  or  stones  were  on  the 
most  awful  scale.  To  the  simple  peasants  of  the  country 
around,  the  summit  of  the  Matterhorn  was  the  abode  of 
evil  spirits  of  the  most  malignant  kind,  howling  demons 
not  to  be  faced  willingly  by  anything  human.  That  such 
a  monster  as  this  could  be  conquered  by  mortals  had 
never  entered  the  mind  of  man.  Thus  things  continued 
till  a  generation  or  so  ago. 

Then  came  the  Alpine  Club,  and  a  host  of  climbers 
from  various  lands.  Peak  after  peak  was  assailed  and 
vanquished,  even  of  those  that  had  aforetime  been  deemed 
utterly  and  for  ever  inaccessible.  Yet  there  remained  the 
Matterhorn,  unconquered  and,  in  the  belief  of  most  men, 
even  the  hardiest  of  the  professional  guides,  unconquerable. 
But  bolder  spirits  arose  and  asked  themselves  whether  the 
proud  Alpine  monster,  too,  might  not  be  trodden  under 
foot  by  man.  Tentative  attacks  began  to  be  made  upon 
him  from  all  points  and  by  climbers  of  all  nationalities — 
Switzers,  French,  British,  Italians.  So  many  were  these 
earlier  attempts  to  scale  the  Matterhorn,  indeed,  that  a 
full  account  of  them  would  fill  volumes,  and,  in  fact,  there 
has  sprung  up  a  whole  literature,  as  it  were,  on  the  subject 
of  the  Matterhorn  ascents.  We  need  only  mention  two 
or  three  of  our  own  countrymen,  whose  names  are  honour- 
ably and  conspicuously  connected  with  those  bold,  if  non- 
victorious,  conflicts  with  the  giant  mountain.  Occupying 
a  front  place  in  the  band  is  the  distinguished  scientist 
Professor  Tyndall,  and  not  less  famous  as  climbers  were 
Messrs.  Kennedy,  Hawkins,  Hudson,  and  Whymper. 

In  the  summer  of  1865  Mr.  Whymper,  who  had  been 
very  active  for  some  time  in  the  operations  against  the 

238 


A  DISTINGUISHED  BAND 

Matterhorn,  determined  on  yet  another  attempt.  By  this 
time  what  may  be  called  the  race  for  the  summit  of  this 
dangerous  but  strangely  fascinating  peak  had  become  very 
keen.  Professor  Tyndall  was  a  very  doughty  rival,  and 
certain  Italian  climbers  were  equally  bent  on  gaining  the 
honours  that  awaited  those  who  should  win  in  the  contest. 
At  Zermatt  Whymper  fell  in  with  Lord  Francis  Douglas, 
who  was  himself  desirous  of  trying  the  mountain.  Hardly 
had  these  two  gentlemen  agreed  to  go  together,  when  in 
walked  another  notable  English  climber — Mr.  Hudson,  a 
clergyman — and  with  him  a  friend,  Mr.  Hadow.  As  these 
latter  were  also  about  to  attempt  an  ascent,  the  two  parties 
agreed  to  join  their  forces.  A  start  was  made  next  morn- 
ing in  fine  weather.  The  leading  guide  chosen  was  Michael 
Croz,  a  first-rate  man,  and  with  him  were  two  Taugwalders, 
father  and  son. 

Passing  over  the  earlier  stages  of  their  climb,  we  find 
them  at  midday  at  an  elevation  of  some  eleven  thousand 
feet,  and  at  the  base  of  the  huge  pillar  of  the  peak  itself. 
Here  the  tent  was  pitched,  the  party  intending  to  do  no 
more  work  that  day.  Nevertheless,  Croz  a)id  the  younger 
of  the  Taugwalders  went  on  a  little,  to  see  what  was  likely 
to  come  next  day.  They  were  absent  some  hours,  but  at 
length  retinned  in  high  glee,  to  report  that  there  was, 
marvellous  to  relate,  little  or  no  difficulty  before  them.  A 
meiTy  evening  was  s})ent  on  their  lofty  perch  ;  everybody 
was  confident,  and,  consequently,  in  the  best  of  spirits. 

Almost  before  it  was  daylight  on  the  morrow  the  party 
were  ready  for  the  start  again.  Soon,  turning  a  corner, 
they  could  see,  towering  far  above  them,  the  whole  of  the 
vast  slope  to  the  top,  a  height  of  three  thousand  feet.    At 

239 


A  RACE  FOR  THE  SUMMIT 

first  the  going  was  comparatively  easy,  but  in  places  step- 
cutting  had  to  be  resorted  to,  and  great  caution  was  neces- 
sary. On  the  men  sped,  till  at  length,  doubling  a  nasty 
corner,  they  saw  before  them  their  actual  goal.  The  rocks 
from  that  point  were  covered  with  snow,  and  the  ascent 
was  safe  and  easy. 

A  feverish  excitement  now  seized  on  the  mountaineers. 
The  race  for  the  top  grew  breathless.  The  truth  was  that 
another  band  of  climbers — Italians — was  on  the  mountains, 
having  started  from  Breuil.  AVhat  if  these  fellows  should 
have  gained  the  day,  wresting  the  laurels  of  victory  from 
the  intrepid  Englishmen  !  Such  a  thought  was  not  to  be 
endured.  Says  Mr.  Whymper :  "  AVe  were  tormented 
with  anxiety  lest  they  should  arrive  at  the  top  before  us. 
All  the  way  up  we  talked  of  them,  and  many  false  alarms 
of '  Men  on  the  summit !'  had  been  raised.  The  higher  we 
rose,  the  more  intense  became  the  excitement.  What  if 
we  should  be  beaten  at  the  last  moment  ?"" 

Mr.  Whymper  and  the  guide  Croz  dashed  away  from 

their  companions,  and  reached  the  highest  point  exactly 

toffether.     The  race  thus  ended  in  a  dead  heat.     The 
o 

Matterhorn  giant  had  been  vanquished ;  his  head  was 
beneath  the  feet  of  his  conquerors.  No  wonder  the  air 
rang  with  frantic  shouts  of  delight  and  triumph. 

But  what  of  the  Italians  ?  Was  it  possible  they  also 
had  reached  the  sununit  and  had  descended  again?  A 
hasty  search  over  the  whole  of  the  limited  area  revealed  to 
Mr.  Whymper  and  his  friends  the  fact  that  the  snow  was 
still  untrodden.  The  victory  to  the  Englishmen  and  their 
guides  was  complete.  Peeping  over  the  colossal  cliff  they 
could  just  see  the  Italians   like   specks   many  hundreds 

240 


THE  ITALIAN  PARTY  BEATEN 

of  feet  below.  Hurrah !  The  victors  shouted  with  all 
their  might  down  to  their  honourable  but  less  fortunate 
rivals.  Failing,  as  it  seemed,  to  make  them  hear,  they 
began  to  lever  off  loose  stones  from  the  edge.  Such  a 
shower  bumping  madly  down  effectually  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  Italians,  who,  probably  sick  at  heart, 
turned  and  fled. 

It  is  worth  recording,  as  an  illustration  of  Mr.  Whymper's 
magnanimity  of  heart,  that  one  of  his  uppermost  feelings 
in  the  hour  of  his  triumph  was  a  regret  that  Carrel  could 
not  stand  by  him  at  that  moment.  Carrel  was  the  leading 
guide  to  the  Italian  party,  and  the  ambition  of  his  life  had 
been  to  be  the  first  to  scale  the  Matterhorn,  and  from  his 
own  valley.  Now  he  had  the  mortification  of  seeing  dashed 
to  pieces  the  hope  of  a  whole  lifetime. 

We  need  not  dwell  on  the  prospect  from  the  top  of  the 
Matterhorn.  The  day,  fortunately,  was  splendidly  clear, 
and  the  views  all  around  were  marvellous.  Mountains  a 
full  hundred  miles  distant,  or  even  more,  seemed  almost 
close  at  hand ;  peerless  among  them  rose  the  king  of 
mountains,  Mont  Blanc.  The  guides  had  insisted  on 
carrying  up  one  of  the  tent-poles,  so  confident  had  they 
been  of  success  ;  this,  bearing  Croz's  blouse,  was  fixed  on 
the  topmost  point,  and  though  it  was  but  a  small  object, 
it  was  seen  from  below.  Oddly  enough,  the  folks  at 
Breuil  took  it  to  mean  that  it  was  their  party  who  had 
proved  victorious,  and  great  was  the  rejoicing — till  next 
day,  when  the  truth  came  out. 

It  was  high  time  for  the  seven  good  men  to  think  of 
dropping  down  again  to  lower  elevations.  They  were 
elated,  naturally,  and  full  of  confidence.     Yet  they  were 

241  Q 


THE  DESCENT  BEGUN 

well  aware  that  the  descent  required  extreme  caution.  In 
places  the  risk  would  be  very  great.  Accordingly,  some 
care  was  taken  as  to  the  order  in  which  they  should  be 
roped.  It  is  necessary,  in  view  of  the  terrible  se(juel,  to 
note  what  that  order  was.  Croz  led  the  descent,  as  it  was 
fitting  he  should.  Hadow  came  next,  and  after  him 
Hudson,  himself  almost  equal  to  any  guide.  Lord  Francis 
Douglas  followed ;  then,  in  succession,  old  Peter  Taug- 
walder,  Mr.  Whymper,  and  young  Peter.  Mr.  Whymper 
made  the  suggestion  that  a  cord  should  be  fastened  to  the 
rocks  at  the  worst  part  of  the  descent,  to  serve  as  an  extra 
protection,  but  somehow  it  was  not  acted  upon. 

The  greatest  care  possible  was  taken  in  the  more  difficult 
spots.  Only  one  man  moved  at  a  time,  the  rest  holding 
the  rope  taut  meanwhile.  Croz  now  and  then  turned 
round  to  help  Mr.  Hadow,  who  was  the  least  experienced 
of  the  party,  the  guide  assisting  him  to  plant  his  feet 
firmly  in  the  steps,  laying  aside  for  the  moment  his  own 
axe  in  order  thus  to  be  of  service.  It  was  precisely  at  one 
of  those  moments  that  the  fatal  slip  occurred,  resulting  in 
so  terrible  a  catastrophe  that  it  is  even  yet  not  to  be  thought 
of  without  a  shudder.  Probably  no  one  clearly  saw  what 
did  exactly  happen.  But  we  shall  not  go  far  wrong, 
perhaps,  if  we  accept  Mr.  Whymper's  own  account : 

"  Croz  was  in  the  act  of  turning  round  to  go  down  a  step 
or  two  himself ;  at  this  moment  Mr.  Hadow  slipped,  fell 
against  him,  and  knocked  him  over.  I  heard  one  startled 
exclamation  from  Croz,  then  saw  him  and  Mr.  Hadow 
flying  downwards ;  in  another  moment  Hudson  was  dragged 
from  his  steps,  and  Lord  Francis  Douglas  immediately 
after  him.     All  this  was  the  work  of  a  moment.     Imme- 

242 


A  Tkackpy  of  Tin:  .Maitkkiiokn 

"  Kadow  slipped,  knocked  against  the  guide  Croz,  and  they  both  fell  over.  In 
another  moment  Hudson  was  dragged  from  his  steps,  then  Lord  Francis.  The  rope 
broke  between  Lord  Francis  and  Taugwalder.     So  perished  our  comrades." 


A  TERRIBLE  DROP 

diately  we  heard  Croz's  exclamation,  old  Peter  and  I 
planted  ourselves  as  firmly  as  the  rocks  would  permit ;  the 
rope  was  taut  between  us,  and  the  jerk  came  on  us  both  as 
one  man.  We  held  ;  but  the  rope  broke  midway  between 
Taugwalder  and  Lord  Francis  Douglas.  For  a  few 
seconds  we  saw  our  unfortunate  companions  sliding  down- 
wards on  their  backs,  and  spreading  out  their  hands, 
endeavouring  to  save  themselves.  They  passed  from  our 
sight  uninjured,  disappeared  one  by  one,  and  fell  from 
precipice  to  precipice  on  to  the  Matterhorngletscher 
below,  a  distance  of  nearly  four  thousand  feet  in  height. 
From  the  moment  the  rope  broke  it  was  impossible  to  help 
them.     So  perished  our  comrades  !" 

Who  can  picture  the  position  and  think  the  thoughts  of 
the  three  horror-stricken  survivors  ?  Not  a  single  step  did 
they  move  for  a  full  half-hour.  The  guides  were  absolutely 
paralysed,  and  though  Mr.  Whymper  himself  seems  to 
have  kept  more  free  from  panic,  yet  the  condition  of  his 
trembling  comrades  was  such  that  he,  too,  began  to  fear  for 
his  life.  So  demoralized  were  the  Taugwalders,  father  and 
son,  indeed,  that  anything  might  have  happened  to  the 
trio.  It  must  be  remembered  that  all  the  while  the 
Englishman  was  tied  between  the  two,  and  could  get 
neither  up  nor  down.  For  a  time  young  Peter  would  not 
attempt  to  move  an  inch ;  he  did  nothing  but  sob,  "  We 
are  lost!  we  are  lost!"  At  last  the  old  man  recovered 
himself  a  little  and  moved  from  his  seat,  whereupon  the 
son  also  came  down,  and  the  three  scrambled  together 
into  a  safer  place. 

And  now  Mr.  Whymper  began  to  examine  the  rope 
where  it  had  parted.     To  his  horror  he  found  that  it  was 

243 


THE  SURVIVORS  PARALYSED 

the  \s'cakest  of  the  three  ropes  they  had  with  them,  and 
should  never  have  been  used  at  all.  Tt  hnd,  in  fact,  been 
brought  only  in  case  an  emergency  might  arise.  On  whom 
the  blame  rests  for  using  that  defective  rope  has  never  to 
this  day  been  satisfactorily  cleared  up.  Whatever  be  the 
truth,  the  result  was  terrible  indeed.  Often  has  the 
Matterhorn  been  climbed  since  that  day,  but  it  will  be 
long  before  the  memory  of  that  first  ascent  passes  from  the 
minds  of  the  dwellers  in  those  Alpine  regions. 

The  three  men  surviving  had  still  to  get  themselves 
down  in  safety,  if  that  were  possible,  and  for  long  it 
seemed  doubtful  whether  in  the  end  there  would  be  left  a 
single  survivor  of  the  seven  to  tell  the  tale.  But  fortu- 
nately we  have  Mr.  Whymper's  own  account,  in  all  its 
directness  and  clearness : 

"  For  more  than  two  hours  afterwards  I  thought  almost 
every  moment  that  the  next  would  be  my  last ;  for  the 
Taugwalders,  utterly  unnerved,  were  not  only  incapable  of 
giving  assistance,  but  were  in  such  a  state  that  a  slip 
might  have  been  expected  from  them  at  any  moment.  .  .  . 
The  men  were  sometimes  afraid  to  proceed,  and  several 
times  old  Peter  turned  with  ashy  face  and  faltering  limbs, 
and  said  with  terrible  emphasis,  '  I  cannot !"' " 

To  ensure  safety  as  far  as  it  was  possible,  Mr.  Whymper 
fastened  ropes  to  the  rocks  in  the  worst  places,  cutting 
them  as  they  descended.  The  ends,  still  tied  to  the  rocks, 
remained  for  some  years,  and  the  Englishman  himself  saw 
one  of  them  in  1873,  or  eight  years  after  the  disaster. 

A  most  extraordinary  part  of  the  story  yet  remains  to 
be  told.  By  six  in  the  evening  the  three  men  had  reached 
a  part  of  the  mountain  where  no  farther  danger  was  to  be 

244 


AN  APPALLING  APPARITION 

apprehended.  They  had,  of  course,  tried  again  and  again 
to  get  a  glimpse  of  their  unfortunate  companions,  but 
without  success.  Weary,  distraught,  utterly  cast  down, 
silent,  they  prepared  to  finish  the  Isist  and  safe  part  of  the 
descent — "  When  lo  !  a  mighty  arch  appeared,  rising  above 
the  Lyskamm,  high  into  the  air!  Pale,  colourless,  and 
noiseless,  but  perfectly  sharp  and  defined,  except  where  it 
was  lost  in  the  clouds,  this  unearthly  apparition  seemed 
like  a  vision  from  another  world ;  and,  almost  appalled, 
we  watched  with  amazement  the  gradual  development  of 
two  vast  crosses,  one  on  either  side.  If  the  Taugwalders 
had  not  been  the  first  to  perceive  it,  I  should  have  doubted 
my  senses." 

The  guides  at  once  believed  that  this  strange  apparition 
was  something  unearthly,  and  that  it  had  a  close  con- 
nection with  the  accident.  Under  the  circumstances  many 
another  person,  however  little  inclined  to  be  superstitious, 
would  have  been  disposed  to  do  the  same.  Mr.  Whymper 
stopped  short  of  that,  yet  he  too  was  puzzled,  if  not  exactly 
alarmed.  He  began  to  think  that  possibly  the  crosses 
might  have  some  relation  to  their  own  bodies,  but  he  soon 
[)erceived  that  the  figures  were  unaffected  by  a  change  of 
position  on  the  part  of  the  men.  "The  spectral  forms 
remained  motionless.  It  was  a  fearful  and  wonderful 
sight ;  unique  in  my  experience  and  impressive  beyond 
description,  coming  at  such  a  moment."" 

Darkness  came  on,  the  three  still  far  from  the  foot  of 
the  mountain  and  from  their  hotel.  They  found  a  tiny 
slab  sticking  out  of  the  rocks,  and  on  this  as  sole  resting- 
place  they  passed  the  night,  saying  scarce  a  word  to  each 
other.     At  early  dawn  they  went  on,  and  at  length  reached 

245 


THREE  BODIES  RECOVERED 

the  hotel  at  Zeimatt,  Mr.  Whymper  greeting  Mr.  Seller, 
the  host,  with  the  words,  "The  Taugwalders  and  I  have 
returned."  No  more,  but  It  was  enough,  and  the  poor 
man  burst  into  tears.  A  search-party  at  once  set  out,  and 
that  same  evening  perceived  the  bodies  of  some  of  the 
dead  on  the  snow.  It  was  impossible  to  recover  them  that 
night,  however,  and  the  efforts  had  to  cease  till  daylight. 
On  the  Sunday  morning,  as  it  was  found  that  none  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  guides  would  set  out  on  the  search  till 
after  they  had  been  to  early  Mass,  no  time  was  lost  in 
getting  together  a  party  of  searchers,  several  Englishmen 
volunteering,  as  well  as  one  or  two  of  the  other  guides. 
Their  efforts  to  recover  the  bodies  were  not  successful,  and 
it  was  plain  that  a  larger  and  better-equipped  force  would 
be  needed  for  the  purpose.  The  matter  threatened  to 
become  a  public  scandal,  owing  to  the  supineness  of  the 
authorities.  Then  the  commune  took  action  at  last,  and 
three  of  the  bodies  were  brought  down  from  the  mountain 
and  buried.  They  were  found  without  their  boots,  strange 
to  say.  The  body  of  Lord  Francis  Douglas  was  not  with 
the  rest,  and  could  not  be  found.  It  is  probable  that  it  had 
been  caught  by  some  projecting  ledge  of  the  precipice,  and 
there  remained. 

The  Matterhorn  had  indeed  been  conquered,  but  at 
what  a  cost ! 

[From  "The  Ascent  of  the  Matterhorn/'  by  E.  Whymper. 
John  Murray.  By  kind  permission  from  Mr.  E.  Whymper  autl 
Mr.  J.  Murray.] 


246 


CHAPTER  XXI 

SOLDIERING    AND    SPORT    IN    THE    ROCKIES 

Sport  ia  the  Rockies  forty  years  ago — Captain  Trench  Townshend 
reaches  the  mountains — Hospitably  entertained  by  American 
officers — A  cold  place — Adventure  with  a  buffalo — Lynch  law 
and  its  work  at  Laramie — A  march  of  thirty-five  miles  farther 
into  the  mountains— Game  very  shy — Another  trek — A  rough 
country  for  travelling  in  —  Corduroy  roads  —  Pulling  up— 
Tracks  of  wild  beasts  in  plenty  —  Camping  at  lofty  alti- 
tudes— A  good  look-out  for  Redskin  war-parties  necessary — 
Narrow  escape  of  two  soldiers  from  the  knives  of  the  Indians 
— Grand  scenery — An  antelope-trap— Five  animals  killed — An 
odd  character  met  with — A  big  and  wasteful  slaughter  of  deer 
— Resentment  of  Indians — A  notable  hunting  day — A  herd  of 
more  than  one  Imndred  and  sixty  elk — A  detour  to  windward — 
Crawling  on  all  fours— Too  late — A  chase — Rest — Magnificent 
elk  spied — A  good  shot — Night  coming  on — C^amp  twenty-five 
miles  away — A  late  start  for  home — Difficulties  by  the  way — 
Bad  falls — Man  and  horse  in  a  salt  swamp — Darkness  comes  on 
— The  brink  of  a  precipice — A  stop  just  in  time — Grass  fired  to 
light  up  passage  over  mountain  torrent— Hours  of  hard  and 
risky  ti'avelling — Camp-fires  seen  in  the  distance — Safe  home  ? 
— Lucky  escape — Seven  rancheros  scalped. 

Forty  years  ago  the  big-game  hunter  in  the  Rockies  was 
not  able  to  pursue  his  sport  with  the  ease  and  comparative 
safety  he  now  enjoys.  The  journey  to  the  spot  was  not  so 
comfortably  made  then,  the  Union  Pacific  Railway  being 
at  that  time  not  completed.     To  make  matters  worse,  the 

247 


CAPTAIN  TRENCH  TOWNSHEND 

United  States  were  at  war  with  the  Indians ;  "  and  the 
possibility  of  falling  in  with  a  hostile  tribe  of  Sioux  or 
Arapahoes  was  a  prospect  which  even  a  strong  and  well- 
armed  party  of  hunters  could  not  contemplate  without 
considerable  uneasiness." 

It  was  just  at  this  time  that  an  English  officer,  Captain 
Trench  Townshend,  of  the  2nd  Life  Guards,  having 
obtained  leave  of  absence  from  his  military  duties,  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  try  his  rifle  amongst  the  buffaloes  and 
other  game  in  the  Far  West.  Luckily  for  him,  he  carried 
letters  of  introduction  to  certain  American  officers  who 
were  then  with  their  regiments  on  duty  amidst  the  haunts 
of  the  hostile  Indian  tribes.  Through  the  hospitality 
shown  him  by  his  brothers  of  the  American  army.  Captain 
Townshend  was  enabled  not  only  to  enjoy  his  sport  among 
the  mountains  in  much  greater  security,  but  was  also  given 
excellent  opportunities  of  seeing  camp-life  in  those  remote 
military  stations. 

He  found  it  hard  at  first  to  realize  that  he  was  actually 
passing  over  a  part  of  the  vast  Rocky  Mountain  system,  so 
gradual  was  the  ascent  from  the  east,  and  so  imperceptible 
to  the  eye.  Yet  when  he  had  arrived  at  Fort  Saunders  he 
was  seven  thousand  three  hundred  feet  above  sea-Jevel,  and 
far  above  the  vast  rolling  prairies  he  had  crossed  in  mid- 
continent.  On  the  way,  however,  he  had  seen  herds  of 
antelopes  scampering  away,  and  wolves  feeding  on  the 
putrid  carcasses  of  buffaloes  lying  in  the  ravines.  He  was 
therefore  delighted  when  the  General  commanding  at  the 
fort  promised  him  sport  in  the  best  part  of  the  Rockies 
before  long.  For  a  time  this  proved  to  be  impossible,  bad 
weather  coming  on.     It  was  late  in  the  autumn,  and  the 

248 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BUFFALO 

elevation  was  great,  so  it  was  not  to  be  wondered  at, 
when  the  thermometer  indicated  fifteen  degrees  of  frost, 
and  a  great  storm  of  wind  and  snow  fell  upon  the  moun- 
tains all  around.  The  comfort  of  a  hut  and  a  good  fire 
was  undeniable. 

The  Englishman  had  had  a  little  experience  of  buflalo- 
stalking  already,  before  the  rough  weather  on  the  mountains 
set  in.  He  had  been  with  a  small  party  of  hunters  when 
eight  buffaloes  were  descned  on  a  hill  a  couple  of  miles  off. 
Each  man  made  for  the  animal  nearest  him,  galloping 
helter-skelter  across  the  intervening  hollow,  Townshend's 
intended  victim  leading  him  over  the  roughest  ground  he 
could  pick  out,  apparently.  For  three  miles  the  chase 
went  on,  before  the  hunter  could  get  a  chance  of  a  shot, 
and  when  he  did,  the  buffalo  was  only  wounded  in  the 
hind  quarters.  The  animal  sped  on,  but  the  horseman 
now  gained  upon  him,  and  presently,  in  a  ravine,  they 
came  abreast,  the  buffalo  on  the  higher  ground.  Townshend 
was  about  to  give  him  a  finishing  shot,  when,  in  a  moment, 
the  animal  stopped,  lowered  his  head,  and  charged  furiously. 
So  unexpected  was  this  attack,  that  the  Captain  had 
hardly  time  to  dig  his  spurs  into  his  horse  and  fire,  before 
the  shock  came.  The  horse  in  his  fright  had  stood  stock 
still.  "  In  a  moment  the  bull  was  on  us,  catchins"  me 
with  his  head  and  horns  just  under  the  knee-joint  of  the 
left  leg,  and  tossing  me  on  to  the  ground  several  yards  off. 
He  then  passed  clean  under  my  horse's  hind  quarters, 
hoisting  them  up  with  his  back  as  he  passed,  but  not 
injuring  the  terrified  animal,  which  he  pui-sued  for  a  few 
yards,  fortunately  not  noticing  me  as  I  lay  upon  the 
ground."    Fortunately,  also,  help  was  at  hand,  and  the 

249 


LYNCH  LAW 

injured  officer  was  carried  off' the  field,  the  buffalo  escap- 
ing. Such  was  the  Captain's  introduction  to  sport  in  the 
West. 

The  visitor  saw  something  of  the  lawlessness  of  the 
district,  and  of  the  methods  adopted  by  the  "  Vigilance 
Committee""  to  keep  evil-doers  in  check.  At  Laramie,  a 
mountain  settlement  not  far  away  from  the  fort,  he  noted 
the  bodies  of  no  fewer  than  six  horse-thieves  hanging  from 
the  timbers  of  a  partly-built  house,  while  four  more  were 
dangling  from  the  telegraph  poles.  Underneath  was  a 
notice  to  the  effect  that  the  Committee  was  prepared  to 
deal  in  like  manner  with  all  other  scoundrels  of  the  same 
sort.  A  rough  business,  this  lynch  law,  the  Captain 
thought,  yet  many  of  the  stories  he  heard  of  the  brutalities 
practised  by  these  lawless  ruffians  were  horrible  indeed. 

At  length  better  weather  arrived,  and  a  company  of 
officers  started  from  Fort  Saunders  for  the  mountains, 
there  to  enjoy  such  sport  as  might  offer.  The  day  was 
bright,  but  intensely  cold,  and  the  mountains  were  every- 
where deep  in  snow.  A  march  of  five-and -thirty  miles  was 
that  day's  work,  and  then  the  camp  was  pitched  by  a 
stream  in  a  sheltered  hollow.  Plenty  of  antelopes  had 
been  seen  on  the  march,  but  they  were  very  shy,  and  the 
total  bag  for  the  day  was  only  two  of  these  animals.  The 
cold  at  night  was  severe,  water  inside  the  tents  being 
frozen  into  solid  lumps. 

The  party  of  hunters  now  made  another  trek  into  a 
more  promising  district.  The  difficulties  of  the  route 
were  many  and  gz'eat,  the  track  being  a  mere  Indian  trail, 
and  not  at  all  wide  enough  to  accommodate  waggons. 
Moreover,  the  way  led  through  a  dense  forest  and  over  the 

250 


ROUGH  TRAVELLING 

elevated  dividing  ridge  of  the  Rockies,  and  the  labour 
involved  was  both  heavy  and  tiresome.  ITie  growth  of 
trees  was  so  thick,  and  the  number  of  fallen  trunks  so 
great,  that  a  huge  amount  of  timber  had  to  be  removed 
before  a  wheeled  vehicle  could  pass  along  at  all.  In  places 
were  swamps,  to  cross  which  it  was  necessary  to  build  a 
corduroy  road — that  is,  a  road  made  by  placing  transversely 
and  close  together  the  trunks  of  trees.  Without  such  a 
contrivance  horses  and  mules  would  have  sunk  to  their 
middles  in  the  swamps.  Over  the  whole  of  the  ground  lay 
two  feet  of  snow.  For  a  couple  of  miles  the  party  had  to 
cut  their  way  through  this  troublesome  forest,  till  at  last 
they  came  out  at  the  summit  of  the  pass,  twelve  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Both  men  and  horses 
suffered  greatly  from  the  rarity  of  the  atmosphere  at  this 
lofty  elevation,  their  exertions  causing  them  to  gasp  for 
breath.  At  the  summit  the  snow  showed  the  tracks  of 
several  varieties  of  wild  beast — bears,  panthers,  wolves, 
and  others.  The  grizzly  was  becoming  scarce,  the  hunters 
were  told,  but  the  traces  of  one  of  these  brutes  were 
distinctly  seen  on  the  top  of  the  pass. 

The  day's  work  was  not  yet  over ;  descending  the 
other  slope,  they  found  it  in  parts  so  steep  that  the 
waggons  were  in  constant  danger  of  being  thrown  over  and 
smashed.  At  length,  after  a  hard  day's  toil,  and  a  march 
of  twenty  miles,  the  soldiers  pitched  their  tents,  long  after 
dark,  at  the  extremity  of  what  is  called  the  North  Park  ;  a 
strange  misnomer,  as  not  a  tree  was  found  in  it.  Captain 
Townshend  had  on  the  way  spied  a  number  of  antelopes 
and  deer  pawing  at  a  little  frozen  lake  in  a  hollow.  A 
shot  from  the  edge  of  the  cliff  above  brought  down  a  fine 

251 


CAMPING  ON  THE  HEIGHTS 

buck  antelope,  and  scattered  the  rest  of  the  herd  in  hot 
haste. 

The  camp  was  pitched  under  five  splendid  pine-trees, 
the  last  of  their  kind  seen  for  a  time.  The  thick  branches 
had  kept  the  snow  from  the  ground  beneath,  and  the  wood 
lying  around  furnished  an  ample  supply  of  fuel  for  the 
glorious  fires  that  were  kept  going.  Thus  even  this  lofty 
perch  made  no  bad  camping-ground.  But  there  was 
another  matter  that  required  consideration;  the  district 
was  known  to  be  infested  with  Indians.  Sentries  had 
therefore  to  be  posted  all  round,  and  a  good  look-out  kept, 
lest  the  party  should  be  surprised  by  a  band  of  Redskins. 
In  truth,  two  of  the  company  present  had  been  not  long 
before  assailed  by  a  gang  of  ten  mounted  Indians.  The 
two  were  hunting,  and  busily  engaged  in  stalking  a  herd  of 
antelopes,  when,  without  a  moment's  warning,  there  rang 
out  on  the  air  the  dreaded  war-whoop,  "  Ough,  ough, 
ough !"  The  soldiers  drew  up  behind  a  rock,  as  Captain 
Townshend  puts  it,  "  the  cavalry  on  the  right  hand,  the 
infantry  on  the  left — one  of  them  was  mounted,  the  other 
on  foot."  Time  after  time  the  Indians  attempted  to 
dislodge  the  gallant  couple,  but  without  success,  and  the 
Redskins  had  at  last  to  sheer  off,  leaving  their  plucky  foes 
alive  to  tell  the  tale. 

While  the  men  were  resting  for  a  day,  after  the  heavy 
labours  of  yesterday,  the  American  General  and  the  English 
Captain  set  out  to  see  what  they  could  bring  in  for  the  pot. 
The  sight  of  the  towering  Rockies  all  around  was  splendid. 
Says  Townshend:  "The  magnificent  range  of  mountains 
which  surround  the  Park  are  unequalled  in  Europe  for 
extent  and  height,"  though,  he  adds,  "  they  are  surpassed 

252 


AN  ANTELOPETRAP 

by  the  Alps  in  grand  and  striking  scenery."  Over  moun- 
tain spurs,  the  General  and  the  Captain  pursued  their 
course,  and  down  into  many  a  deep  ravine,  where  every 
two  or  three  hundred  yards  immense  beaver-dams  were 
found  blocking  the  streams.  Game  in  plenty  was  seen, 
but  the  animals  were  far  too  shy,  and  the  men  had  to 
return  to  camp  almost  empty-handed,  to  learn  that  those 
of  their  comrades  who  had  been  out  had  had  a  like 
experience. 

On  the  2nd  of  November  tents  were  struck,  and  a  move 
was  made  for  the  other  side  of  the  Park,  where  the  River 
Platte  has  its  rise.  \\Tiile  the  men  went  round  with  the 
waggons,  the  officers  for  the  most  part  took  a  shorter  cut, 
dropping  down  into  a  deep  valley.  On  the  banks  of  the 
stream  at  the  bottom  they  came  across  a  large  herd  of 
antelopes  feeding.  At  once  the  hunters  spread  themselves 
out,  keeping  as  much  as  possible  under  cover,  till  they  had 
made  a  line  round  the  herd.  There  were  but  two  ways 
of  escape  open  to  the  animals ;  they  must  either  swim  the 
river  or  break  through  the  line  of  guns.  The  latter  was 
what  they  chose,  and  they  dashed  past,  within  ten  yards  of 
some  of  the  men.  Five  fell,  and  the  welcome  addition  to 
the  larder  was  duly  hoisted  on  to  the  waggons  when  they 
came  along.  The  difficulty  of  getting  across  the  river  was 
serious,  however,  the  stream  being  both  wide  and  deep. 
Presently,  in  a  gorge  with  very  steep  sides,  the  party 
came  upon  one  of  those  strange  characters  often  found  in 
the  hunting-grounds — a  wild-looking  fellow,  dressed  in  the 
queerest  and  shabbiest  garb.  He  was  calmly  drinking 
whisky,  while  beside  him  grazed  his  tough  little  mustang. 
Two  companions  of  his,  he  said,  had  gone  over  to  Fort 

253 


WASTEFUL  SLAUGHTER  OF  DEER 

Steel  with  the  skins  and  furs  they  had  gathered,  the  party 
having  had  a  run  of  luck.  The  solitary  hunter  was  relieved 
when  the  soldiers  assured  him  that  they  had  seen  no  Red- 
skins in  his  neighbourhood. 

In  one  part  the  gorge  of  the  Platte  was  found  to  be  so 
narrow  that  there  was  no  room  even  for  a  beast-track,  the 
mountains  on  either  hand  rising  almost  sheer  from  the 
water's  edge.  The  hunters  were  obliged  to  proceed  along 
the  bed  of  the  stream,  which  was  not  deep,  though  rapid. 
The  scenery  was  very  grand.  Whenever  the  mountain- 
flank  receded  a  little  and  left  a  margin  of  strand  by  the 
river-side,  there  were  plenty  of  traces  of  elk  and  mountain 
sheep.  Running  away  from  the  main  canon  was  a  side-cleft. 
It  was  in  this  place,  not  so  long  before,  that  a  curious  and, 
in  some  ways,  a  regrettable  thing  had  happened.  A  band 
of  hunters  had  managed  to  drive  into  this  smaller  caiion 
a  herd  of  seven-and-twenty  elk.  The  animals  were  in  a 
trap,  there  being  no  outlet  at  the  upper  end.  The  conse- 
quence was  that  twenty-six  out  of  the  twenty -seven 
animals  fell  to  the  guns,  the  remaining  elk  making  a  dash 
through  the  line  of  his  enemies,  and  getting  clear  away. 
The  hour  was  late  and  the  camp  far  distant ;  the  men 
therefore  left  the  carcasses  for  the  night.  When  they  came 
back  next  day  to  fetch  up  this  notable  supply  of  meat, 
they  were  surprised  and  vexed  to  find  that  the  flesh  was 
already  putrid.  The  whole  of  the  bodies  had  to  be  left 
lying  where  they  were,  to  rot  or  be  destroyed  by  wild 
beasts.  We  can  imagine  the  Indians  who  passed  that  way 
cursing  the  greediness  of  the  white  man,  for  the  Redskin 
believes  that  all  the  animals  of  the  country  have  been  sent 
by  the  Great  Spirit  solely  for  the  use  of  himself  and  his 

254 


A  LARGE  HERD  OF  ELK 

family.  The  savage  has  this  to  be  said  on  his  side — that 
without  such  supplies  he  and  his  must  inevitably  perish. 

In  due  time  the  military  sportsmen  came  into  the  Elk 
Mountain  neighbourhood,  the  best  hunting  district  of  all, 
and  here  they  made  a  considerable  stay.  All  the  members 
of  the  expedition  had  good  sport,  but  we  must  follow  the 
fortunes  of  the  Englishman  more  especially.  "We  had 
just  arrived  on  the  brink  of  a  deep  canon,"  he  says,  in  his 
account  of  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  his  experiences, 
"  when  we  saw  on  the  opposite  bank  a  sight  which  made 
our  hearts  leap.  It  was  no  less  than  a  herd,  or  band,  as  it 
is  called,  of  over  a  hundred  and  sixty  elk,  we  counted  up  to 
that  number  tjuietly  grazing  or  lying  down.  For  some 
minutes  they  did  not  notice  us ;  but  first  one  and  then 
another  old  stag  got  up  and  looked  uneasily  in  our  direction. 
They  must  have  got  wind  of  us,  for  soon  the  whole  herd 
were  on  the  move,  walking  off  in  Indian  file,  and  dis- 
appeared into  a  wooded  glen  in  the  mountain." 

Nothing  could  have  better  pleased  the  hunters,  for  they 
could  not  have  got  near  to  the  animals  in  the  o})en.  A 
long  detour  was  made  by  the  party,  with  the  view  of 
getting  to  the  other  side  of  the  elk,  and  then  every  man 
dropped  down  among  the  bushes,  and  crawled  cautiously 
on  all  fours,  gradually  approching  the  glen,  A  vain  labour, 
as  it  presently  appeared,  for  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
men,  the  whole  herd  of  elk  was  spied  on  the  top  of  a  peak, 
above  and  behind  them.  How  the  animals  had  got  there 
was  a  mystery,  but  there  they  were,  and  staring  down  as  if 
in  wonderment  at  the  strange  behaviour  of  the  enemy. 
Then  they  took  to  flight,  and  the  hunters  sprang  upon 
their  horses  and  made  after  them,  the  object  being  to  turn 

255 


A  GOOD  SHOT 

the  herd,  if  possible,  before  it  reached  a  certain  deep 
ravine  farther  on.  But  they  were  too  late,  most  of  the 
elk  had  got  across  before  anything  could  be  done  to  stop 
them.  The  space  between  the  men  and  the  nearest  elk 
was  fully  five  hundred  yards,  but  a  volley  was  fired  into 
the  herd  nevertheless.  Only  one  animal  was  hit,  a  hind- 
leg  being  broken  by  the  bullet.  On  this  some  of  the 
hunting  party  went  off  after  the  herd,  pursuing  at  full 
speed,  till  hunters  and  hunted  were  swallowed  up  by  the 
dense  forest.  Captain  Townshend,  with  others,  had  had 
enough  of  it,  and  dismounted,  to  seek  a  shelter  from  the 
cutting  wind  and  to  deplore  their  bad  luck,  as  they  drank 
their  whisky  mixed  with  snow. 

The  respite  from  labour,  however,  was  not  of  long 
duration.  The  Englishman,  chancing  to  look  up,  spied  a 
magnificent  head  and  horns  among  the  branches  a  couple 
of  hundred  yards  away.  The  elk  was  evidently  staring 
intently  at  the  party,  but  as  the  wind  carried  the  scent 
away  from  the  animal,  he  was  not  unduly  alarmed.  To 
seize  his  gun  and  fire  was  the  work  of  an  instant  for 
Townshend,  and  the  poor  brute  paid  the  penalty  of  his 
curiosity.  The  antlers  proved  to  be  the  finest  the  English- 
man had  ever  seen,  and  he  longed  to  take  the  head  with 
him.  But  that  was  impossible  under  the  circumstances  in 
which  the  sportsmen  were  placed. 

It  was  high  time,  in  truth,  to  think  of  something  besides 
sport.  The  day  was  waning  rapidly,  and  the  distance 
back  to  the  camp  was  no  less  than  five-and-twenty  miles. 
It  was  late  even  now  for  a  start,  but  half  their  party  had 
gone  oft'  after  the  herd  of  elk.  To  return  without  their 
comrades  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  to  search  for  them  in 

266 


DIFFICULTIES 

that  great  and  dense  forest  would  be  ridiculous.  It  was 
near  sunset  before  the  stragglers  all  returned,  and  the 
united  party  could  set  off  homewards.  The  predicament 
was  without  doubt  an  awkward  one.  Here  were  they  all, 
between  twenty  and  thirty  miles  from  camp;  the  inter- 
vening ground  was  of  the  most  difficult  and  trying 
description,  the  horses  were  weary,  the  track  was  only  a 
very  indistinct  trail  at  the  best ;  moreover,  the  time  was 
winter,  and  winter  high  up  among  the  Rockies ;  last,  but 
not  least,  the  district  was  known  to  be  haunted  by  Indians, 
There  were  but  two  alternatives,  both  sufficiently  dis- 
agreeable :  the  hunters  might  endeavour  to  get  back  to 
the  camp  in  spite  of  the  distance,  or  they  might  spend  the 
night  on  the  mountain  Hank,  amidst  snow  and  ice,  with- 
out tents  or  wraps,  and  exposed  to  possible  attacks  from 
the  Redskins.  This  latter  alternative  was  not  to  be 
thought  of  so  long  as  anything  at  all  better  in  the  way  of 
choice  was  left  to  them. 

The  horsemen  accordingly  plunged  into  the  gloomy 
forest,  through  which  lay  the  way  to  the  summit  of  the 
pass.  The  fallen  timber  was  a  sore  trouble,  and  it  was 
found  very  difficult  to  keep  the  jaded  horses  going. 
Moreover,  the  trees  stood  very  thick,  and  the  branches 
made  havoc  of  both  hands  and  clothes.  Falls  were 
plentiful,  some  of  them  nasty  ones.  One  man  was  thrown 
from  his  mount  with  force  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree. 
In  another  case  the  animal  got  into  a  salt  swamp,  and  was 
up  to  its  head  in  it  before  it  could  be  pulled  up.  The 
rider  was  only  just  in  time  to  drag  the  poor  brute  from 
its  dangerous  predicament  before  it  was  too  late.  At  last 
ascent  and  forest  ended  together,  and  from  the  top  of  the 

257  R 


RISKY  TRAVELLING 

pass  easier  going  appeared   in  the  shape   of  descending 
grass  slopes. 

By  this  time  it  was  quite  dark,  and  the  rest  of  the 
journey  promised  to  be  attended  with  no  httle  risk,  if, 
indeed,  it  could  be  continued  at  all.  Presently,  by  great 
good-fortune,  the  horsemen  pulled  up  just  in  time  to  avoid 
destruction.  They  found  themselves  on  the  very  brink  of 
a  perpendicular  precipice,  at  the  foot  of  which  they  could 
hear  the  rush  of  a  stream.  In  some  way  the  party 
managed  to  scramble  by  a  steep  game-track  to  the  bottomi 
of  the  ravine,  but  it  was  only  to  find  themselves  con- 
fronted by  the  difficulty  of  crossing  the  river,  no  easy 
thing  when  the  darkness  prevented  them  from  seeing 
where  the  passage  was  most  practicable.  A  halt  had 
to  be  called  to  discuss  the  point,  when  someone  threw 
out  the  bright  idea  of  firing  the  grass.  This  was 
done,  and,  aided  by  the  wind,  the  blaze  soon  lit  up  the 
whole  neighbourhood.  The  creek  was  then  successfully 
crossed. 

Hour  after  hour  the  party  plodded  doggedly  on,  game 
to  the  end,  notwithstanding  weariness  of  body  and  mind. 
At  last  they  had  their  reward.  In  the  distance  were  seen 
the  big  fires  which  their  friends  at  the  camp  had  made  for 
their  guidance.  Soon,  also,  they  could  hear  the  shots  fired 
there  to  attract  their  attention. 

They  had  been  fourteen  hours  on  horseback.  The  first 
bit  of  news  they  heard  from  their  comrades  at  home  was 
one  that  must  have  made  the  hunters  rejoice  more  than 
ever  that  they  had  reached  camp  in  safety.  A  party  of 
Indians,  it  appeared,  had  surprised  seven  rancheros  who 
were  feeding  their  cattle  on  the  mountain  slopes,  and  all 

258 


SEVEN  RANCHEROS  SCALPED 

the  poor  fellows  had  been  scalped.  The  raiK-heros  had 
had  but  one  revolver  amongst  them.  As  for  the  Indians, 
they  had  gone  off*,  it  was  reported,  to  upset  the  train  on 
the  Union  Pacific ! 

[From  ''Ten  Thou-aiul  Miles  of  'JVavel,  Sport,  and  Adveiitiue/* 
by  F.  French  Townsheinl.  Hurst  and  Blackett,  18G9.  By  kind 
permission  from  Colonel  Towushend  and  Messrs.  Hurst  and 
Blackett.] 


259 


19^1 


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